Somewhere I Belong
by TwilightMommyof4girls
Summary: A match made in heaven, or maybe hell, pushed to it's limits. Is love enough to survive the small town of Forks, Wa.? Short chapters - updating bi-weekly. I don't own the characters.
1. Chapter 1

_This story was written a while ago and I am just trying to post it now. It should post daily until it is complete. Hopefully this will be the kick start to getting my other updates posted (they are written just can't get them to upload)._

_Enjoy!_

US Military Base, Germany – 2008

"Look alive people," the head doctor called out to the assembled medical staff on the tarmac of the Ramstein Air Base. They knew the drill. Quickly assess and arrange transport for all of the wounded to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in order of severity. The giant plane had finally come to a stop and the rear was opening up to allow them into the belly of the plane, sometimes referred to as the belly of hell by the nurses, since there were always so many wounded on board.

Bella Swan jumped into action as soon as the door hit the ground. She quickly assessed the first two patients, who had minor wounds, before reaching a third. The large man was unconscious and his vitals were weak but stable. After doing her physical assessment, she quickly read his medical file, gasping at the contents. She knew he needed immediate attention.

"Sir!" she called, getting the doctor's attention. As he made his way towards her, she quickly finished the check on her patient's file so she could relay the information quickly and efficiently to him.

"Nurse Swan," he said, looking at the patient as he listened to her account.

"Sergeant Emmett McCarty," she began without any preamble. "Vitals are stable. He's 24, no previous injury. Shrapnel wound to his left arm and chest. The shrapnel has not been removed, Sir."

"What the hell?" Dr. Slater said, pulling the dressing off the wound to confirm her statement. They both knew that the longer the shrapnel stayed in the wound, the higher the chance of infection. "Get him in right away. Stay with him all the way, Swan."

"Yes Sir," she responded, motioning for the orderlies to transport her patient to the waiting ambulance. She unhooked all of his equipment, readying him for transport, and moved next to the cot as the orderlies began the move. In less time than should have been possible in the cramped and chaotic space, Bella and her patient were loaded into the ambulance and on their way.

Once at the hospital, she relayed his information to the next doctor and began prepping him for surgery. She followed his cot right to the operating theater door, before dashing back to the ambulance bay to assist with the next patients.

Before she finished her shift, seven hours later, she checked in post op to ensure that the sergeant had made it through okay. This was not an uncommon practice for Bella Swan. The large transport planes seemed to land almost daily, carrying injured soldiers from both Afghanistan and Iraq to the base in Germany. Landstuhl was the largest US military medical facility overseas and their main job was to patch up soldiers enough to get them home to the States, or back to the field. She grabbed her coat and bag, making the short walk home, before falling into bed, and preparing to do it all again the next day.

Bella Swan grew up in the military, an army brat through and through.

As the only child of Master Sergeant Charles Swan, an SFS MP with the US Air Force, and Renee Swan, a self-proclaimed housewife extraordinaire, most of her life was spent traveling from base to base, both in the US and overseas. As such, she was an easy going girl with friends spread far and wide. When she finished high school her family had been stationed in Japan, so with a heavy heart she left to attend college in Boston, to follow her dreams of becoming a nurse.

It came as no surprise to them that she graduated top of her class. She was offered her choice of jobs, choosing New York City for the challenge. It certainly was that! In the meantime, Charlie and Renee had visited when possible and had been transferred three times, Italy, Texas and finally Germany.

It was in Germany where the doctors first diagnosed Renee Swan with cancer. Renee had suffered from stomach pain and upset for nearly a year before Charlie had finally managed to talk his wife, who hated doctors with a passion, into getting a check up. By the time the doctors found it, it was too late. Bella quit her job immediately, packed up her life in two suitcases, and flew to be at her parents side for Renee's last few months.

Bella was a constant at her mother's side, attending all appointments, and taking over her day to day medical care. After Renee's passing, Bella decided to stay with her father, who had not taken his wife's death well. She applied for a job at Landstuhl and even though she was non-military, she was hired on the spot and started working almost immediately.

As a triage nurse, Bella was usually on call for all incoming planes. She didn't mind as she loved to keep busy and help where necessary. During her time off, she cooked, read, watched sports with her father, or spent time with friends. Of all the overseas army bases she had been on, this was her favorite. The people here were all warm and friendly and she had managed to find three great friends in other nurses on the base. Angela Cheney, whose husband was an airplane mechanic, Lauren Mallory, an army brat like herself, and Jessica Stanley, an incurable flirt who had a thing for men in uniform.

All in all, life was good.


	2. Meeting Emmett

_I forgot the disclaimer in the first chapter. None of the characters belong to me. I am just borrowing them from Stephenie. See you tomorrow!_

:)

Emmett McCarty always knew that one day he'd be buried in the Forks Cemetery, next to all the other McCarty relatives. His father's family had called Forks home for generations, and his mother, Emily, had moved to town as a young child. His father owned the only garage and gas station in town, and he knew that he would eventually take it over and run it, living and dying in the same town that he had been born in.

He was the high school football quarterback, the home run hitter on the baseball team... In Forks, he was sports. Between his athletic ability, his good looks, and his easy going personality, he was Forks' golden boy. In fact all of his little group could have been considered golden children. Edward and Alice Cullen, Jasper Whitlock and Rosalie Hale. Everyone wanted to know them. Everyone wanted to be them. Edward had the brains in the group. He was heading east with a scholarship to Dartmouth to study medicine like his father. Alice and Jasper, a couple since they were 13 years old, were heading to UCLA. Rosalie, was staying local. School was not her thing. In fact, her goal in life was to marry Emmett, have a couple of kids and enjoy life in Forks.

When Emmett got a scholarship to UW, he turned it down flat. He was happy. He had his friends, his family, a job, and his Rosie. Life was good... mostly.

But, there was a little part of Emmett that wanted more. Not school and sports. He wanted to see the world, to say he had done something important with his life, so two days after his high school graduation he did what lots of small town boys with big dreams do. He joined the Army.

His friends were stunned. Rosalie cried. His mother cried. His father cursed and yelled, using words like irresponsible and foolish. But Emmett stood firm, finally getting grudging approval from them all.

He shaved his curly locks off and headed off to make a difference.

And he did.

He was an excellent soldier. He made fast friends with Mike Newton and Phil Dwyer. Brothers from other mothers, the young men joked. Mike 'Baby-face' Newton was a small town boy too. His future was the family farm in Wisconsin. Phil 'Crazy-legs' Dwyer was the opposite. Instead of being a big fish in the little pond, like Mike and Emmett, he was a little fish in a big pond.

His original plan had been to stay for one tour of duty, that was what he had promised his mom and his long time girlfriend, Rosalie Hale, but when that tour ended, both Newton and Dwyer were staying for another, and the very thought of the two of them heading back to a war zone without him, made him sick.

"I won't wait for you again, Emmett," the beautiful, leggy blonde told him. "I can't put my life on hold for two more years."

Emmett loved Rosalie. That was a fact. But his sense of honor and duty meant he couldn't just turn his back on his brothers. No, they weren't brothers by blood, but they were just as important, maybe even more so. He took her threat seriously, with Rose you had to, but his desire to serve again with his brothers was just too strong. They had seen a lot of action in their first tour and the thought of his brothers in arms going back over with out him, tore him to bits.

"I love you, Rosalie," he told her, when she delivered the ultimatum. "But sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

For the first six months, he held out hope that she would get angry, then get over it. But, one Sunday on his weekly call home, his Mama dropped a bomb shell. Royce King had asked Rosalie for her hand in marriage and she had accepted. That fact nearly killed Emmett, not only because Rosalie had moved on, but also because of who she had moved on with. Royce King was Emmett's most hated enemy.

He wanted to be angry with her, but instead he was angry at himself. It had been his fault, and though he knew he would always love Rosalie, he resigned himself to his fate. Every time after that first mention of Rosalie, he refused to mention her, and quickly ended the call with anyone else when her name was mentioned.

After their second tour, it was Newton and Dwyer that stayed with Emmett when he enlisted for a third time. He just couldn't bear going home to see Rosalie all happily married. The third tour was the one that landed the three comrades in the hospital in Landstuhl, Germany when their Humvee was blown up by an IED.

All three men had been loaded onto the plane that had been scheduled to leave immediately. They had been sedated heavily for the flight, and by the time the three were conscious again, they were in Landstuhl, recovering from surgery. Thankfully, none of their injuries were enough to have them shipped home, and it was determined that after eight weeks of recovery and therapy in Landstuhl, they would be fit to return to their unit for the remaining time.

They also determined it would be for the final time. Even though he dreaded it, in just over a year, Emmett would be heading home.


	3. Nice to meet you

It took eight days for the men to be released from the hospital to live in the barracks while they attended therapy sessions. On their first night of freedom, they decided to hit a little bar on the base to kick back and relax. They managed to score themselves a beer as they looked around the small club. The three men were happy to sit back and relax, watching the happenings at the bar, until Mike managed to catch the eye of a woman across the bar. He motioned for her to come join them at their table and she nodded, bringing her three friends with her. Before introductions could be made, one of the women smiled at him, and greeted him by rank and name.

"Nice to see you with your eyes open Sergeant McCarty," she said to him with a beautiful smile.

"Seems you have me at a disadvantage, Ma'am," Emmett said to her. "You know my name but I don't know yours."

"I'm Bella Swan," she said, putting her dainty hand out to shake his massive paw. "I was your triage nurse when you came off the plane from Afghanistan."

"Nice to officially meet you, Miss Swan," he said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"It's a pleasure," Bella said, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

The four women spent the next hour with the guys, in lively conversation. Emmett found himself drawn to the petite brunette in ways he hadn't thought possible since he and Rosalie broke up. As he studied her, he realized that she had absolutely nothing in common with his former girlfriend, and he liked the differences. Bella was maybe 5'2 to Rose's 5'9, and she had a bubbly and vivacious personality, to Rose's more... prickly one. She looked incredible with her hair up in a simple ponytail and almost no make-up on her face, where as Rose wouldn't even dream of going out without her hair artfully coiffed and her make-up done to perfection. He never had to work at the conversation. It was as easy as breathing. She understood all about his life in the military and knew more about sports than most guys. She fit in with his friends so seamlessly that he started imagining her there in a more permanent way.

And it didn't even scare him.

When the ladies had to leave, citing an early shift the next day, Emmett insisted on walking Bella to her car. Since she had no car, he offered to walk her home.

"Are you certain that won't be too strenuous?" she asked him.

"I'm positive," he replied, offering her his arm. They walked along slowly, enjoying each other's company.

"Well, this is me," she said, finally.

"I enjoyed getting to know you tonight," Emmett said, looking down at her. "Can I see you again?"

"I'd like that," she said, blushing again. "When?"

"Tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm off work at 4:00," she said.

"So 5:30?" he asked hopefully.

"I'd like that," she said.

They were together every spare moment after that, except for in the bedroom. Bella had never... gone all the way, and Emmett was happy to honor that since the only person he had ever been with had been Rosalie. Bella was at every one of Emmett's therapy sessions that she could get to and he would often be waiting for her after work, just to spend a little extra time with her. He told her he loved her two weeks after their meeting in the bar, she returned the sentiment immediately. Her friends loved him, and his friends kept trying to get her to ditch him for them. Even Charlie, a man that Emmett had been nervous to meet, loved him.

The day Emmett got his orders to return to Afghanistan, he knocked on Charlie's door while Bella was still at work.

"Emmett," Charlie said "What are you doing here? Bella is at work until 8:00."

"I know, Sir," Emmett said. "I actually came to see you."

The two men talked sports for a little bit until Emmett got down to the nitty gritty of the reason for his visit.

"Sir," he said, still refusing to call her father by his given name. "I love your daughter with all that I am, and I want to ask you for her hand in marriage."

"Emmett," Charlie started to say.

Emmett, nervous enough already, continued on before Charlie could say anymore. "I know it's quick, but she is... everything. I have fourteen more months of active duty, then I plan to return to the States and work in my father's garage."

"Emmett," Charlie started again.

"I love her, Sir, and I promise that I will do everything in my power to make her happy for the rest of our lives..." Emmett said.

Now it was Charlie's turn to interrupt. "Son," he said, cutting through Emmett's rambling. "I proposed to my wife the night I met her. We waited six weeks to say our 'I dos', and we had thirty two years together, and would have had thirty two more, if it hadn't been for the cancer. You have my blessing to marry my daughter."

Emmett was stunned. He had expected it to be difficult, to have to prove to Charlie that he was sincere. However, Charlie had been watching the two of them for the past weeks. He knew that the man sitting in front of him would treat his little girl the way that she deserved. Emmett was ecstatic.

"Now comes the hard part," Charlie said with a grin.

"The hard part?" Emmett asked.

"You have to ask her," Charlie said, chuckling to himself as he watched the boy's eyes go wide.


	4. Belonging

After leaving Charlie's, Emmett brought his two buddies with him into town to the local jewelry store.

"You gonna get a monster rock for Bellsy," Newton asked.

"It's gotta be big to keep all the other horny bastards away when we go back," Phil agreed.

"She would hate anything too big," Emmett said, confidently. He knew his girl, probably better than he knew himself. With a little help, and a lot of teasing, from his friends, he chose a beautiful engagement and wedding band set for her. When he got back to the base, he got his dress uniform on and made his way to the hospital to meet her after her shift.

"Emmett?" she asked as she walked out the door to the hospital. He had his back turned to her at first and she had never seen him so dressed up.

"Hey, beautiful," Emmett said, turning to face her.

"You're so dressed up," she said before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "You look so handsome."

He smiled at her and handed her the small bouquet of flowers he had bought for her.

"Thank you," she said, grinning from ear to ear. He offered her his arm as he always did and they started walking towards her house. Emmett was nervous. He didn't know how to propose to her. He wanted it to be special, but he could barely think when he was with her. All he wanted to do was drop to his knee and secure the ring in his pocket to her finger. If Bella noticed his nerves, thankfully she didn't say anything. As the neared her house, there was a small park, that they visited often, and Emmett finally knew what to do.

"Do you want to stop at the park?" Emmett asked her, praying that she'd say yes.

"I'd love to," Bella said, smiling up at him. They made their way to a small bench in the center of the park and sat, snuggled close together. Bella smiled happily as Emmett wrapped his arms around her, so her back was against his chest. She leaned back into him, loving the feel of his warm breath again her neck. She always felt so safe with him. Emmett was in no hurry to let her go, loving the feel of her in his arms, but he couldn't wait to ask her. Finally, he moved a little distance from her, causing her to look up at him.

He grinned, showing her the dimples that she loved so much, before slowly moving to kneel in front of her on one knee. Bella's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she noticed the position he had taken, knowing what was to come.

"Bella," Emmett said, taking both of her hands in his, and looking into her eyes. "The last thing I ever expected when I joined the army was to find someone like you. You are the very best thing in my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. I love you with everything I am and everything I ever will be. Will you marry me?"

Tears sprung to Bella's eyes instantly and she nodded her head yes, since she couldn't get the words out. Emmett pulled the ring box from his pocket and opened it to show her.

"If you don't like it..." he started to say.

"I love it," she replied quickly. "It's perfect. I love you so much." He took the ring out of the box, fumbling slightly as she looked on excitedly, as soon as he had it, she held up her hand allowing him to slip it on her finger, before they shared their first kiss as an engaged couple.


	5. Going to the Chapel

They spent the next hour snuggled on the bench and talking about their future. Emmett continually running his finger over the ring on her finger, his inner caveman thrilled to have HIS ring there. He told her more about his family and the small rainy town on the west coat that he had planned to call home.

"I can't wait to see it," Bella said excitedly.

"It isn't much," Emmett said, worried he had over-sold his rainy hometown to his fiancee.

"If you love it, then I'm sure it will be perfect," Bella said, sighing contently.

"We don't have to live there," Emmett said. "I'll be wherever you are."

"I want to go home with you," she said. "I've never had a home town. We never stayed in one place longer than two years as I grew up. I'd like to have a place to put down roots."

"Really? You'll come to Forks?" he asked excitedly.

"Of course," she said happily.

"Everyone is going to love you," Emmett said happily, imagining her fitting in with his life there.

"I'm sure I'll love them too," she said.

When the topic switched to when to get married, Emmett surprised her with his answer.

"Now," he said. "We can celebrate it again when we move to Forks but I want to be your husband as soon as possible."

"Really?" she asked, smiling widely. The thought of being his wife so soon was most definitely appealing. "But what about your parents?"

"They'll understand," he said. "And if they are truly disappointed, we'll renew our vows on our second anniversary in the church in Forks."

"Yes," Bella said, smiling happily.

"What about you?" Emmett asked, concerned that maybe it was just selfish to rush her into a quickie wedding. He couldn't bear it if she regretted it. "I mean if you want to wait and have a big wedding we could."

"No," Bella said. "I don't want all that. I just want you. I want to be your wife as soon as possible."

Apparently word of their pending engagement had spread, and even though it was nearly midnight when they finally arrived at her house, the lights were on and the living room was filled with Charlie and all of their friends.

"So did she say yes?" Phil asked as they opened the door.

"Let me see the ring," Angela said, running over to the new couple.

"I can't believe it!"

"It's so beautiful."

"Congratulations!"

"When are you getting married?"

"Where are you getting married?"

The questions flew at them fast and furious until Emmett finally put his fingers in his mouth and whistled, stopping everybody in their tracks. Bella smiled up at Emmett before responding to all the questions she could remember.

"Of course I said yes!" she said. "He picked the perfect ring. As for where we are going to get married, the answer is here. And when... the day after tomorrow."

The girls shrieked and words were flying at them once again.

"Oh my goodness, you need a dress."

"Flowers."

"Cake."

"Pictures."

When the hubbub died down a little, Bella walked over to see her dad as Emmett talked to their friends.

"Daddy," Bella said, looking cautiously at him. He had been silent through the whole exchange.

"You found your happily ever after," he said to her, smiling proudly at his little girl. At the same time his heart ached for the love of his life, knowing she would have been right in the thick of things helping Bella plan her wedding.

Bella knew what he wasn't saying and hugged him. "I wish she was here," she said.

"She is," Charlie promised. "I know she is."

It was after 2:00 when everyone made their way home. Each person had taken on a job to make Bella and Emmett's wedding day a rousing success. 34 hours later, Bella stood on Charlie's arm outside the small chapel that they had decided on for their wedding.

"You ready?" Charlie asked her, looking dapper in his dress uniform.

"Definitely," Bella responded, anxious to walk down the aisle to meet her groom.


	6. I Do and Uh Oh!

Bella had chosen a simple white dress for the ceremony. It had a sweetheart neckline and feel to her knees. Her long dark hair was down and small bits of baby's breath were placed throughout to 'make her look more bridal'. She carried a small bouquet of all of her mother's favorite flowers, chosen by Charlie, to bring the woman that was so important to them both into the day. The music was provided by Jessica's i-pod.

As the door opened, and the bride and the groom caught sight of each other for the first time, only Charlie Swan's grip on his daughter's hand, and Phil's grip on Emmett's shoulder stopped the two from rushing headlong towards each other. The photographer that Jessica had found for the day caught it all; Emmett's awestruck look of adoration, Bella's smile, and even Charlie Swan's lone tear.

As Charlie placed Bella's hand in Emmett's, he knew that she had found her forever, as he had found his all those years before. The chaplain began the ceremony, "Dearly beloved..."

Bella and Emmett were glad in the weeks and months that followed that Angela had thought to record the ceremony as neither could remember a single word that the chaplain spoke until he got to the important bit. "Sergeant McCarthy, you may now kiss your bride."

And he did, dipping his bride with gusto until the small room erupted in cheers,

"It is my great pleasure to introduce, for the first time, Sergeant and Mrs. Emmett McCarthy," the chaplain said, speaking over the small group of revelers.

They had wedding pictures taken in the park where Emmett had proposed, making sure to include everyone in them, before the small party started. They shared a meal catered by a local restaurant and cut into a delicious cake that they lovingly fed each other, forgoing the traditional cake in face, much to Mike and Phil's chagrin. They danced their first dance together before heading off to a hotel, arranged by all their friends.

It was perfect for them.

The hospital administrators had been very accommodating to the last minute wedding plans, agreeing to give the new Mrs. McCarty two weeks leave, expecting her to return the day after Emmett returned to Afghanistan. Charlie, did his part too, moving to the barracks for those two weeks so that Emmett and Bella, could enjoy their time together without worrying about an old man interrupting.

Even though they both knew that their time together was limited, Emmett and Bella made the most out of their two weeks together before he had to return to Afghanistan. They were so wrapped up in each other than Emmett never even got around to calling his mother to tell her that he was married. By the time he even thought about it, he didn't know what he would say. Somehow, "Hey Mom I'm married." or "Hey, guess what, you have a daughter-in-law." didn't seem right.

For her part, Bella was very uncomfortable with the fact that Emmett hadn't told them he was married. He spent a long time assuring his bride that he was in no way, shape, or form embarrassed by their marriage. He simply couldn't fathom announcing it to his family and friends when there was nothing that they could do from so far away. Bella accepted her husband's explanation with slight trepidation, but accepted it none-the-less.

Their final night together was bittersweet. Neither slept as they spent the night committing each other's bodies to memory, and as the sun rose, so did the tears.

"I don't think I can say goodbye to you Em," Bella said as they started to get dressed.

"It's not goodbye," he promised. "I could never say goodbye to you."

She simply nodded and tried to choke back the tears. She dressed in a pretty blue dress while he put his uniform on. He tried to tell her that she didn't need to accompany him to the airfield, but she was having none of that.

"I am not going to miss one second of my time with you Sergeant," she said, smiling at him with her watery brown eyes.

And she didn't. They were together until the last possible second.

"I love you Isabella McCarty," he said to her. "With all that I am and ever will be."

"I love you Emmett McCarty," she said through her tears. "You be safe and come back to me."

With a final kiss, he was gone and Bella struggled to keep breathing, knowing that he was going to be in harm's way once more.

Once through the gate, Emmett, Mike and Phil were put in a holding area for the final thirty minutes. Emmett realized in that time that he hadn't even called home in the last month. Mike and Phil gave him a hard time, which Emmett took in stride. He found his way to the phone bank and placed a call to Forks.

"Hey Mama," he said, when she answered the phone.

"Emmett!" she cried in excitement and relief, gathering the attention of her husband and their house guest.

"I have some news for you," he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

He opened his mouth to tell her about Bella, but found that he couldn't even find the words. He knew that she would want to meet Bella right away and since they were half a world apart, he couldn't see the benefit of it. Instead he told her something else.

"I'm completely healed," he told her. "I'm heading back to Afghanistan today."

"Oh Emmett," she cried. Her chest was once again tight with worry for her only son. "You be safe!"

"I will, Mama," he assured her. "And Mama..."

"Yes," his mother sniffled.

"I need you to start looking for a house for me," he said. "I'm coming home after this tour. I'm ready to move on with my life."

Emily McCarty was ecstatic. Her boy was coming home. And when he found his Rosie there waiting for him, she knew he would be thrilled.


	7. The News

Charlie Swan had accompanied his daughter and son-in-law to the airfield, leaving the two of them to say their goodbyes in private. Bella didn't even make it back out to the car before her tears took over. She sat down on a bench and cried. Charlie found her a few minutes later and wrapped his arm around her.

"What if he doesn't come back, Daddy?" she asked him tearily as he held her in his arms.

"Your mama will keep him safe," Charlie said, saying a silent prayer to his wife asking that she do just that.

He led her back to the car and drove her home. When she got there, she went straight to the room that she had shared with Emmett for the last two weeks and cried. By the time she returned to work the next day, she had cried herself out and had put on an outward smile that was believable to all but those closest to her.

The three weeks that followed had been busy for Bella. She worked six or seven days a week, making up for the time she had off. Charlie Swan had taken to picking her up from work each night so that she didn't have to make the walk alone, since that always ended up with her in tears. Emmett and the guys were busy as well. They spent ten days training hard to make sure that they were completely up to par with their unit, then resumed their patrols.

The newlyweds found time to chat everyday. Sometimes, if they were lucky, it was by skype, but most often they were sending emails back and forth. It wasn't near enough for either of them, but they made do. When they managed to connect on skype they spoke of everything and so, five weeks after the wedding, Emmett was the first one that she told her suspicions to.

"I have to tell you something, Em," she said, a little trepidatiously.

"A good something or a bad something?" he asked, watching her beautiful brown eyes.

"Good... I think," she said, biting her lip.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm late..." she said, looking at her husband for a reaction.

"For what?" he asked obliviously.

"For my time of the month," Bella answered, her cheeks turning pink.

"Ohhhh," Emmett said. "That kind of late."

"So?" she asked him.

"When can we find out?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"I bought a test," she confessed. "I just wanted to talk to you before I took it."

"Can you do it now?" he asked.

"Okay," she said, smiling at him, before disappearing from the screen. She was back two minutes later with a white stick in hand.

"What does it say?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "It takes three minutes."

"I love you so much," Emmett told her. "And a baby... WOW! That would be... that would be awesome!"

"I love you," Bella said, feeling a little more relaxed. "But, what if I'm not? Maybe I'm just late because I have been working so much and missing you."

"Either way, Babe," he said. "But if I'm being completely honest, I hope you are."

"I love you so much Em," she said tearing up again.

"I think the three minutes is up," he said, grinning.

"One line for no and two for yes," she told him. "I'm going to make you check."

"How?" he asked. She turned the test to the laptop and made sure the camera focused on the small screen.

"It's two lines," Emmett cheered loudly, alerting his friends who were nearby. "I'm going to be a daddy!"

While the newlyweds reveled in their newfound bliss, his buddies got down to business.

"You owe me a hundred," Phil said, holding his hand out to Mike.

"Damn it," Mike said, pulling out the money for Phil. "I thought it wouldn't happen until he got home."

"We gotta give him a name now," Phil said, tucking the money in his pocket. So Baby-face Newton and Crazy-legs Dwyer spent the next five minutes coming up with a name for Emmett. When they had it, they quickly made their way to Emmett's bunk, breaking into his locker and grabbing all his boxers.

"He's going to kill us," Mike laughed as he started writing.

"That he will," Phil said, a black sharpie in his own hand.

Once they were done, they folded them back up and closed his footlocker again, waiting anxiously for Emmett to notice.

When his time with her was up, Emmett made sure to tell both her and their unborn child that he loved them before going to join his boys in the mess tent.

He and Bella had decided to try to keep their news a secret, so he didn't say anything to the guys. They seemed a little odd throughout the evening, but Emmett reasoned that it was probably just him that had changed, seeing as he had this incredible secret that had changed him so profoundly.

That night, Emmett grabbed a pair of boxers in the dark and went to have a shower. It wasn't until he was done and ready to put his boxers on that he realized exactly what his friends had done. He laughed, fully embracing the prank and returned to the tent in just his boxers, thumping his chest loudly, proclaiming his super-stud status as he had managed to impregnate his wife in only two weeks.

The guys all laughed at his antics and congratulated him and his 'super swimmers'. All of them were thrilled with their friend's happiness, especially Mike and Phil. They had been with him through thick and thin, including the loss of his first love. To get to see him so happy was the best any friend, or brother could ask for.


	8. 9 months

**_DOUBLE UPDATE TODAY! So if you missed this morning's post, read it first!_**

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Thankfully, Bella had an easy pregnancy. Emmett insisted that she send a belly picture to him every day so that he could watch the changes in her small body as it grew to hold their child . For the first three months, she couldn't see a difference at all, though Emmett swore he could see some changes. Every time they spoke on skype he also insisted on talking to the baby, and his emails always included a little blurb for his son or daughter. Bella saved each and every one in a special baby book do that their child would know how much he or she was loved, even before birth.

He had managed a short trip to Germany just before she was six months pregnant. It was only for two days since he was saving the majority of his time for when their little peanut was due. Emmett relished his time with his wife, and with her expanding belly. They discussed names for the stubborn baby who had steadfastly refused to reveal it's sex during the ultrasounds, deciding that they would name him or her after his our her grandparents.

"So Emma Renee for a girl or Emery Charles for a boy?" he asked as they lay snuggled in bed, his large hands splayed over her growing bump.

"Yeah," she said, snuggling deeper into his hold.

"So I can call the baby Em instead of Baby when we talk now," he said.

"I like that," she said.

On his second morning, Emmett was up early. Charlie was staying at the barracks again to give them their privacy and Bella was exhausted from their reacquainting activities. He decided to go for a jog and then call his mom, checking on the progress in Forks and to finally tell her about Bella and their child.

"Hi Mama," he said as she picked up the phone.

"Emmett!" she cried. "It's so nice to hear from you. "I never hear from you anymore! Are you still in Afghanistan?"

"No Mama," he said. "I'm in Germany right now."

"You're not hurt again are you?" she asked.

"No Mama," he replied. "I'm perfectly fine, and I have some news to share."

"Me too," she said. "Oh Emmett! You aren't going to believe it!"

"What Mama?" he asked, deciding to entertain his mother's whim before blowing her out of the water with his news. He could already imagine introducing his girl to his parents using skype. He knew she'd love her baby bump as much as he did.

"You remember the Copes?" she asked. It really was a foolish question. Mrs. Cope had been his babysitter as a child. She lived just down the street from his parents in the most beautiful house in Forks. He had loved that house and as a child, and had spent plenty of time with Mrs. Cope, partaking in her love for baking in her warm country kitchen.

"Of course, Mama," he replied. "How are they?"

"Well Fred's arthritis has taken a turn for the worst and they've decided to head south to Arizona," she said.

"I'll miss visiting her," Emmett said fondly. "I loved that house."

"That's just it," his mama said. "When they heard that you were looking for a house, they insisted that you buy their house. The price is right within your budget. They are just waiting for your okay."

"That's great Mama," he said, imagining Bella and their child in the house.

"I knew you'd want it," she cheered. "Let me call Shelly and tell her the news. I love you Son. I can't wait until you're home. Just 8 more months now!"

And with that she was gone.

Emmett spent the next hour trying to reach her to no avail. Then Bella woke up, and spending time with his pregnant wife seemed to supersede and thoughts of his mother. They spent the day together just enjoying their limited time. Emmett refused to let Bella accompany him to the airfield this time as his flight was leaving at 5:00, meaning he had to be there are 4:00. As they went to bed that night, Emmett promised her that he would wake her to say goodbye. After making love tenderly, they fell asleep. He woke her at 3:00 when he got up and they made love once more. When he left, she was sleeping soundly with her dark hair splayed on the pillow.

It wasn't until a week later when he was back in the desert and he received his mother's email telling him that the house was his that he even thought about her again. By then, he had missed his window of opportunity. He decided that when he was in Germany for his baby's birth that he would tell them then.

A week before her due date, Emmett was packing his bags to head to Germany again. Phil and Mike, as well as two other guys in his unit had given up their leave time, donating it to Emmett so he could be there for his child's entry to the world. Just as he was ready to leave, their commanding officer called them all to attention.

"Attention," the CO called out as he walked into their tent. Everyone quickly stood in their places, their postures rigid as the awaited their commands. Emmett prayed fervently that whatever their CO had to say was quick, and did nothing to jeopardize his leave.

"At ease," he said, smiling. "How long have we been in the desert men?"

"Sir," Mike answered. "The company has been here 19 months, Sir."

"Long time," he said.

"Sir, yes Sir," they agreed.

"What if I told you guys that they are cutting this tour short?" he asked.

"Short, Sir?" Phil asked.

"We'll be deactivated in eight weeks," he said, smiling widely.

"Sir?" Emmett asked, stunned.

"Yes, Babymaker?" the CO said with a smile.

"I can still take my leave, right?" he asked.

"Yes, Sergeant," he said. "You may certainly take your leave, and when you return, it'll only be for 5 weeks, not five months."

"Sir, thank you Sir," Emmett said, grinning wildly.

"Go catch you plane," the CO said with a smile, before leaving the tent. The men went WILD. Eight weeks. Eight weeks and they'd all be HOME.

"Can you believe it Man?" Phil asked Emmett as he grabbed his duffel.

"I can't wait to tell Bella," he said. "We'll be home before we know it."

"I bet you Mama will be thrilled to get her hands on that baby." Newton said.

"You know it," Emmett said, smiling. He knew that she'd be ecstatic to have him home. Meeting Bella and their child would be icing on the cake, and suddenly contacting his mom while he was in Germany seemed not as important. He could surprise them all back in Forks.


	9. And It's a

**_**There were two updates yesterday so make sure you didn't miss one before reading this chapter!**_**

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The plane ride to Germany was long and silent. Emmett was half scared that his child would be born while he was on his way, and half scared that he or she wouldn't be. When he touched down, he disembarked and made his way into the makeshift terminal, spotting his extremely pregnant wife immediately.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he said to the petite brunette with the huge belly.

"Emmett!" she squealed, launching herself towards him. He wrapped her in his arms as best he could with her extremely swollen belly, before dropping to his knees to greet his child. "Hi Baby Em. Daddy is here now."

Charlie drove the couple home from the airport, seeing as Bella couldn't even reach the steering wheel and the pedals in the car anymore. He stayed for dinner, happy to revel in his daughter and son-in-law's bliss.

"So," Emmett said to them both. "I got some news just before I got on the plane."

"Good news or bad news?" Bella asked, looking at her husband.

"Very good," he said with a smile.

"Well, then..." she said eagerly.

"They are ending our tour early," he said with a smile. "Instead of having to go back for five months, it'll only be for five weeks as we dismantle our outpost."

"Five weeks?" Bella asked grinning wildly.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said.

"Then we can go home?" she asked.

"Then we can go home," he said. He had forwarded her all the pictures of the house that his mother had sent him and her nesting instincts had kicked into high gear. She loved the house already.

"You take care of them," Charlie grumbled.

"I will," Emmett promised. "And you know you have a home too when you decide to retire."

"The fishing that good?" Charlie asked.

"The best," Emmett promised.

"I just might take you up on that," he said with a smile. "Maybe I can be a small town cop or something."

That night, Charlie grabbed the bag he had packed and moved back to the barracks, promising the young couple that he didn't mind at all. Emmett and Bella spent the next week doing everything to get labor started. Evening walks, special meals, and sex, lots and lots of sex. Though the latter was not only for it's labor inducing qualities.

Emma Renee McCarty was not to be rushed though. She arrived on her due date, weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces and looking exactly like her daddy, but with her mama's button nose.

"She's so little," Emmett said, as he cradled her in his arms for the first time.

"Not that little," Bella murmured, exhaustion taking over after a sixteen hour labor.

"No," Emmett chucked. "Certainly not that little."

Emmett held his daughter through the night as her mother slept. He told her about all the people she had that would love her.

"Well there's uncle Phil and uncle Mikey," he told her. "They aren't your uncles by blood, but they will always be there for you. Then there is your grandpa and grandma. They will love you to pieces. There is also Uncle Eddie, Uncle Jasper and Aunty Alice. I promise, you are going to be the most loved and spoiled baby in the whole wide world." Emma opened her sparkling blue eyes and looked at her father before letting out a massive wail.

Bella woke and nursed the baby, before insisting that her husband lay her in the plastic baby bin and climb into bed with her to catch a little sleep.

For the next two weeks, Emmett participated in every aspect of baby care with his daughter. It was almost comical to watch his massive hands handling her with such ease; diaper changes, burping, bath time, rocking and their personal favorite, nap time on daddy's chest.

Going back was hard on Emmett. He had seen how much Emma had changed in the two weeks since her birth and missing the next five seemed unbearable.

"I'll send you multiple pictures every day," Bella promised him. "And we'll talk on skype whenever you are available."

"She isn't going to even remember me," he said sadly.

"She will," Bella promised. "Nobody could possibly forget their daddy."

Bella and Emma both accompanied him to the airfield this time. He held one of his girls in each arm until the last possible moment.

"Soon," he promised Bella as he placed a sleeping Emma back into her mother's arms.

"We'll be waiting," Bella promised. Emmett placed a last kiss on his daughter's forehead and another, more lingering kiss, on his wife's lips and slipped through the door.


	10. Heading Home - Part 1

The trip back to Afghanistan was hard for Emmett. Leaving both his girls behind when Emma was so new physically hurt him. It wasn't just the fact that he was missing his girls, but he knew how little sleep Emma let them get at night and now Bella had to do it alone.

Back in Afghanistan it got a little easier. First off, it was the first time he got to be the proud new daddy, happily showing off pictures of his little angel. The guys ribbed him about needing a gun at home to keep the boys away, and Emmett made a mental note to do that when he got home. No stinking boy was getting near his princess. He couldn't wait to get to his computer every night to see what pictures Bella had sent. And he was actually on skype talking to Emma when she smiled the first time. The days ticked by until he had been back in camp for three weeks. They were all awaiting the CO's official statement for their final day.

"I don't think we have two weeks of work left," Phil said, sitting in the mess with his mouth full of food.

"I bet they'll move us out early," Mike agreed.

"God, I hope so," Emmett said.

"You are so whipped, Man," Phil laughed at him.

"They own me," Emmett said smiling at his buddies.

"Definitely whipped," Mike laughed.

Four days later they got the news and Emmett got to a computer as soon as the CO was done. Bella left her skype open whenever she was awake so he was thrilled to see her name lit up. He dialed quickly and let it ring. Bella's sweet voice popped on moments later.

"Hey Babe," she said as the video feed popped up. She was wearing one of his shirts and sitting on the bed nursing Emma. Her hair was piled up in a loose pony tail and she was smiling happily.

"God you're beautiful," Emmett said, momentarily distracted from his news.

"I miss you so much," she said. That dragged Emmett back to his news.

"The CO finally gave us our orders," he said.

"When?" she asked.

"Day after tomorrow," he said, looking at Bella's face.

She squealed happily making Emma grunt in frustration and nuzzle in to her mother harder.

"You'll be here in three days?" she asked.

"Yup," he said. "Then we just have to pack everything you need up and we can book a flight."

"It's almost done now," she said. "We just have the basics left to go."

"Really?" he asked. "So when should we fly back to Washington?"

"As soon as possible I think," she said. "Emma and I have a six week check up the day you guys leave and then we're ready to go."

Emmett popped open the airline website and checked to arrange travel from Germany for the three of them. Charlie had agreed to drive them to Frankfurt, a little more than an hour away from the base to make it easier on them, and Emmett managed to find a direct flight to Seattle that left the next morning. To make it easier on his girls, he even arranged a hotel room in Frankfurt for the night and another in Seattle, before he brought them home for the final leg of their journey. He was truly hoping that Edward, who was working in Seattle would be able to meet his girls while they were there.

The next two days were a flurry of activity for the both of them as they made the final preparations to go home. In Afghanistan the guys put together money, $500.00, for Emmett and Bella to buy a stroller once they got home.

"Guys!" Emmett said. "I don't think a stroller costs that much."

Several of the guys had kids and they laughed heartily at Emmett and told him he had a lot to learn. Emmett looked a little frightened by that fact.

Meanwhile, back in Germany, the staff at the hospital threw Bella and Emma a joint baby shower and going away party. They gave her tons of cute baby clothes and money for a crib and whatever else the baby needed when she returned State-side.

Bella and Emma were waiting anxiously at the airfield for Emmett's plane to land and when her soldier came through the doors, he had them both in his arms in an instant. He managed all of thirty seconds with his girls before thirty more soldiers crowded around to get a look at their buddy's family.

"Hey Bellsie," Phil said, hugging her. "You sure make pretty babies!"

"Hey Phil," Bella said. "You happy to be going home?"

"Yeah," he said. "Gotta find me a wife and settle down. Any chance you want to ditch the big lug and come to Arizona?"

"No hope in hell Phil," Bella laughed.

"Damn it," he said, laughing along with her.

Mike grabbed her up next and hugged her softly. "You look good," he said.

"Thanks," she replied. "Ready to head back to the farm now?"

"Farming is gonna be easy after the last six years," he said happily.

"Good," she said. "Both of you make sure you visit us in Washington, you hear!"

"Yes, Ma'am," they said.

Bella and Emma were introduced to the rest of the guys in the unit before they had to get back to catch their plane stateside. Emmett was thankful that he would have a chance to shower before he did, as eighteen hours on a plane with thirty smelly guys was more than enough for him.

They went back to Charlie's little house and Emmett hopped into the shower before donning a fresh set of clothes. He couldn't wait to get back stateside to all of his civilian clothes. Bella nursed the baby while he showered, happy to have him back with them. When he came out, he grabbed the burp cloth and burped Emma while Bella insisted on making them an early dinner.

"Only three bags?" Emmett questioned, looking at the bags waiting by the door.

"I travel light," Bella said. "Most of that stuff is Emma's."

After they all ate, Charlie helped them load into the car. Emmett sat in the front with him while Emma and Bella sat in the back. When they got to the hotel, Charlie and Emmett took all of the bags out of the trunk, passing them to the bell hop.

"Those girls are all I've got in this whole world," Charlie said to Emmett. "I'm trusting you to look after them."

"With my life," he promised Charlie, shaking his hand. "Thank you for taking care of them when I couldn't."

"What are you guys talking about back here?" Bella asked as she joined them with Emma.

"Guy stuff," Charlie answered. Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm going to miss you, Daddy," she said.

"I'm going to miss you too," Charlie said, choking back the tears. "You keep taking good care of my grandbaby and I'll visit as soon as I can."

Emmett took Emma from Bella so that father and daughter could hug. He felt his own eyes going misty as they both sniffled together. Then Charlie took Emma and said a little goodbye to his baby granddaughter before climbing into the car and heading back to the base.

"You ready?" Emmett asked, as Bella fussed with Emma in front of the hotel, while watching her father drive away.

"You bet," she said.


	11. Heading Home - Part 2

**DOUBLE UPDATE TODAY! I HOPE YOU ENJOY BECAUSE THE YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HIT THE FAN TOMORROW!**

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Emmett was completely keyed up. He was going home with his wife and daughter. He could just imagine how thrilled everyone was going to be. Bella had her own thoughts about how everything was going to go. Hers weren't anywhere near as cheery.

"Em," she asked as he sat on the bed snuggling their freshly fed and changed little girl.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"About going home?" he asked.

"Not that," she said, smiling at him nervously. "I mean, are you sure about surprising them like this?"

"Babe," he said, patting the bed beside him for her to sit. "This will be the best kind of surprise. They all know how hurt I was when Rosalie wouldn't wait for me, and when she got engaged to the biggest dickhead in a hundred miles. They will be thrilled that I have met someone so incredible, and when they meet our little princess, it will be game over."

"I hope you're right," Bella said leaning into her husband. "I really want to make a good impression."

"You will," he promised. "They are going to see what an incredible person you are and they'll fall in love with you just as much as I did."

"I love you," she said, trying to calm herself down.

"I love you too," he said.

"I'm going to have a quick shower," she said, kissing him softly.

"I'll be here," he said, looking down at their daughter.

Bella tied her hair up and had a quick shower before putting on a little red nightie that she had gotten while shopping with her girlfriends for this exact moment. She had gotten the all clear the day before and she wanted to reconnect with Emmett before they got swept up in the madness that was bound to ensue when they returned home.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She was still 10 pounds over her pre-pregnancy weight but she just looked like she had a few extra curves. She worried what Emmett would think but gathered her courage and walked back out into the room.

"WOAH!" Emmett said, staring at her.

"You like?" she asked, doing a little pirouette.

"I love," he said. Bella walked over to him and picked little Emma off his chest, placing her in the makeshift bed they had made for her. She didn't even move as her mother laid her down. When Bella turned around to face her husband his eyes were still glued to her body.

"I..." she began, suddenly not feeling as confident as she had moments ago.

"You are beautiful, stunning, amazing," Emmett said, moving off the bed to take his wife in his arms.

"I haven't lost all the weight yet," she said to him, blushing slightly.

"You look incredible," he said. "I am so happy to have you in my arms."

"I'm so happy to be here," she said with a sigh.

The young couple spent hours reconnecting that night. In fact, neither of them had had much sleep by the time they had to get up to go to the airport. Thankfully, they were able to board the plane without too much hassle and they settled into their seats quickly.

Emmett managed to sleep for most of the flight with little Emma tucked against his chest. Bella, however, was not so lucky. She was used to new places, that wasn't the problem. This time was different. This time she cared what people thought. This was her husband's friends and family and she felt completely unprepared to meet them.

Though the flight was a little over ten hours, with the time change they arrived in Seattle just before noon. They went straight to the hotel where, after some more reconnecting, Bella finally had a nap. Emmett used his time to call his friend Edward.

"Eddie," Emmett said when he heard his friend's voice.

"Em," Edward said happily. "It's good to hear from you."

"You too, Man," Emmett said happily.

"Since it's mid afternoon here. It must be really late there. What are you doing calling in the middle of the night?"

"Actually," Emmett said. "I just hit town."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked.

"I'm in Seattle," Emmett said.

"You are?" Edward said. "When did you get in? I didn't think that you were due back for another four months!"

"They let us out early for good behavior," Emmett laughed.

"So you're done? That's it?" Edward asked.

"Yup," Emmett said. "All I have to do is report to the recruiting office in PA and sign my discharge papers. Other than that I'm a civilian again."

"I can't believe your mom never told me," he said incredulously. "I just saw her on the weekend."

"That would be because she doesn't know yet," Emmett laughed.

"That's one hell of a surprise, Man," Edward said.

"You don't know the half of it," Emmett said, thinking of his wife and daughter.

"So how are you getting home?" Edward asked him.

"I think we're going to rent a car tomorrow," Emmett said.

"Hell no," Edward replied. "I get off shift at midnight tonight then I'm off for three days. I'd be happy to drive you home and watch everyone's expressions."

"You got the room?" Emmett asked. "I have two people coming home with me, plus all our gear."

"Actually I do," Edward said. "I have my parent's Expedition while the Volvo is in your folk's shop getting repaired."

"That's great," Emmett said happily. "So what time do you want to leave?"

The guys made arrangements to leave mid-morning and Emmett returned to the room to wake his wife and daughter so they could get a few necessities for Emma before traveling to Forks the next day.

They purchased a small bassinet for Emma and a few other necessities. Emmett found shopping with his wife was completely different from shopping with any other woman he knew. She was very direct with what they needed, not wanting the fanciest things available. The only spurge they had made was for a fancy little dress for Emma and a bib that read Daddy's Princess.

They toured downtown a little bit before finding a restaurant and eating dinner. They returned to the hotel and set up Emma's little bed before going to bed themselves.

Edward was so happy to hear his friend's news that he couldn't keep it to himself, and when he got another break at 10:00pm that night he called his mom to let her know that he was coming up in the morning, and that Emmett was coming with him.


	12. Meeting Edward and Someone Else

**LONG CHAPTER! But I didn't want to split this up and draw out the heartfail anymore than it already is. For those that haven't seen it, there were two updates yesterday. Thank you to all who review and follow. I am having a small back surgery so there won't be an update until Sunday night or Monday, but reviewers to this Chapter will be granted a 300 word sneak peek at the next chapter.**

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Mid-morning the next day, Bella and Emmett were both up and moving around the hotel room, preparing for the day. When the hotel phone rang, Emmett happily told his best friend what room to come to. Emmett was so excited, Edward Cullen, his best friend since diapers, was going to be the first person to meet his wife and daughter. Edward hadn't seen Emmett in six years. They e-mailed, and chatted a few times, but that was it. So when Emmett met his friend in the hallway, Edward was happy to see him looking so happy.

"You look good!" Edward said to his friend. "Happy."

"Dude," Emmett said to his buddy. "I swear my feet don't even hit the ground when I'm walking anymore."

Edward was thrilled to see his friend so happy and relaxed. Truth be told, Edward had felt that when Emmett and Rose broke up, his friend would never be happy again.

"So, I have some people, I'd like you to meet," Emmett said, opening the door to his suite. Edward was expecting to see two burly soldiers standing inside, instead he saw a small brunette, clutching a small baby to her chest. Bella looked up at him and smiled, hiding the nervousness that she felt behind a genuine desire to get to know all the people in Emmett's life. She simply prayed that they'd all like her and accept the tiny baby clutched in her arms. Her mother sense told her that nobody could hate her baby, but still she feared that this would not go well, even though Emmett had assured her again and again that they would all love and accept them both.

"Who are they?" Edward asked, with uncharacteristic rudeness. Emmett didn't notice, too happy to introduce his best friend to his wife. He moved to stand next to Bella, smiling down at her proudly.

"This is my wife, Bella, and our daughter, Emma," Emmett said proudly, scooping his little daughter from his wife and turning her so that Edward could see her.

"Hi," Bella said, sticking out her now free hand to greet the man that she knew had always been her husband's best friend.

Edward stood there, dumbstruck, looking at the tiny brunette and baby girl in his friend's arms. It was obvious that the baby was his friend's child, and it was just as obvious that his friend loved the petite brunette at his side. Finally, Bella dropped her hand, the confident smile that she had placed on her face dropped with it. Her lip quivered as she sensed his rejection, and she bit it, hoping that she could fight off the tears that were threatening to appear.

"Oh," Edward said after a minute. "This is a surprise."

"Isn't it great?" Emmett said, completely oblivious to the emotions swirling around the room. "Here, Bella. Take Emma and get her into her seat while Edward and I get our bags in the truck."

She nodded to him, smiling slightly, though her heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds. Bella blinked back the tears in her eyes and set about preparing Emma for the last leg of their trip. The confidence that she had begun to feel at her husband's urging quickly dissipating.

As they loaded into the car, Emmett helped Bella and Emma into the backseat with the diaper bag, and climbed into the front with Edward. The two men were chatting like long lost friends should, while Bella pretended to fuss over her sleeping infant. Finally, just as they were getting on the ferry, Emmett started trying to bring Bella into the conversation, telling Edward about her.

"Bella," Emmett said, surprising her slightly. "Did you know that Edward is in his final year of his residency?"

"Really?" Bella asked, saying the second word that Edward had heard her utter. "That's great." Edward was stunned by her lack of an accent.

"Bella is a nurse," Emmett continued, completely oblivious to the tension in the car. "She studied in Boston."

"Really?" Edward asked, realizing for the first time that the quiet girl in the back was not a German citizen.

"Yeah," Bella said, quickly, not adding any more details.

"How did you meet?" he asked.

Emmett picked up the discussion again, telling him all about their time in Landstuhl.

"So how did you end up in Landstuhl?" he asked Bella. "You don't look the military type."

Bella started opening up slowly, telling Edward about her parents, her schooling, and her job as a trauma nurse in New York City before moving on to talk about her job in Germany.

"I've just finished a rotation in trauma," Edward said, in awe of his massive friend's little wife. "I can't imagine dealing with that level of trauma so often. It must have been so hard."

"It was," she said, feeling more comfortable in their conversation. "There were some patients that you knew that even if they made it, their lives were going to be changed forever."

"Still, nice to be able to say you made a difference," Edward said.

"In some ways," Bella agreed. "Most of the patients I got to see were unconscious when I treated them, like Emmett. The ones who weren't were the hardest. They were usually scared for themselves and for their loved ones. One man told me he promised his wife she would never get that call. He said he'd keep that promise. He was in such bad shape, and both of his legs had been amputated by that point..."

Edward felt a shiver run through his body, thankful that there were people like Emmett and Bella who were willing to go out there and make a difference. As they waited to be allowed to go up to the passenger deck, Emmett told his friend about meeting Bella in the bar, and that she had even remembered him.

"He was so huge, how was I supposed to forget?" she goaded her husband cheekily. Emmett smiled as he watched the fun and sassy side of his wife come out, even just a little bit.

Once they got on the ferry, Bella excused herself from the men to find a quiet place to feed the baby. As soon as she was gone, Edward's demeanor shifted.

"What the hell, Emmett?" Edward asked. "How could you not tell anyone you were married? Not only that but you have a child!"

"Chill," Emmett said. "It didn't feel like something I could write in an email or send in a letter. I thought it would be best for all of you to meet her. How could anyone not love her? She is the sweetest, gentlest person ever. I love her more than I can even begin to explain."

"And Rosalie?" Edward asked.

"Is a part of my past," Emmett said with a shrug. "I did love her, but in the end it wasn't enough for either of us."

"And now?" Edward asked.

"Comparing my love for Rose and my love for Bella... It's like comparing a grain of sand to the whole damed desert. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her."

"I see that, Man," Edward said wistfully. "I still think you should at least call and warn your mother."

"I can't," Emmett said. He was so close to home he could feel it. "It'll be okay. I know she's going to love Bella, everyone will. And when she sees Emma... It will be game over. She has been ready to be a grandma since I graduated from high school."

"With Rose," Edward said.

"That ship sailed four years ago. Once she meets them she'll know this is right," Emmett said.

Edward struggled to tell his friend something to bring him down to earth, but Emmett was lost in his own little dream world, imagining sunshine and roses when his mother met his wife and daughter. Edward knew that the sunshine and roses were not going to happen, he just prayed it wasn't atom bombs and napalm.

Emily McCarty was bound to be smitten by the baby at least, he hoped.

Bella returned then with the baby dressed in a fancy lacy dress and bonnet.

"Hey Beautiful," Emmett said, kissing her softly before taking his daughter in his massive hands and laying her gently against his chest. Edward looked at Bella, fighting to try to find a way to warn them both of the clusterfuck awaiting them in Forks. Emmett placed his other arm around his wife as soon as the baby was secure and relaxed into her. Looking at the three of them was like looking at a painting. Bella had her eyes closed while leaning against his chest, one arm touching the baby gently. Emmett had his cheek resting on her head, looking more at peace than he had ever known him to be.

He felt himself tense up as he fought for a way to stop the bloodbath that was forthcoming. He focused his sights on Bella, looking at her with pity, knowing that she was running into a hornet's nest full bore, and he was powerless to stop it. She caught the look of pity he gave her, only she saw it as a look of distain. She felt almost blindsided, it had seemed that they'd been getting along before, and she wondered what she had done to make him hate her all over again.

The conversation was stilted at that point and Bella did her best to try to find some more common ground with Edward. They spoke briefly about sports and politics, and if Edward hadn't been so distracted, he would have realized that the young woman was articulate in many topics, instead he found himself trying to focus on ways that he could circumvent the war that was brewing a little over an hour away. By the time they got on the road again, the tension in the car was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Bella was anxious to make a good first impression, worrying about her hair and the little bit of extra baby weight she still carried on her small frame. Edward tried desperately to think of a way to stop everything from going down the tubes and Emmett was preoccupied with the happy scenarios of how the reunion was going to go.

By the time the welcome to Forks sign came into view, Bella's stomach was filled with hordes of butterflies due to her nerves, Edward was gripping the steering wheel as if his life depended on it, and Emmett was practically vibrating in his seat he was so excited. He hadn't been home in four years, and now he was returning with his wife and child.

Edward slowed the car, ready to make one last ditch effort to save them from the heartache which was bound to happen.

"Maybe we should go to my folks place first. We can let you guys freshen up before you do the big introductions," Edward suggested.

"Ma won't care," Emmett said.

"But Bella and Emma could probably use a rest before all the chaos that is bound to ensue," Edward tried.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Emmett said. "You don't need to rest do you Babe?"

"I think I'll be okay," Bella said uncertainly.

As the car turned onto the McCarty's street, there were flags and banners everywhere welcoming Emmett home. Bella was encouraged by the welcome she was seeing, praying that it would extend to her and their daughter.

Cars lined the entire street.

"You spilled the beans, didn't you Eddie?" Emmett said, laughing in his good natured way.

"I told my mom," Edward sputtered. "I didn't think she'd say anything... let alone bring half the town here to celebrate."

"She must have invited everyone!" Emmett said excitedly.

Bella just wanted to puke, now she had to meet her in-laws in front of a whole bunch of strangers. Edward spared the young woman a quick glance in the rearview mirror, and noticed how pale she appeared as she busied herself fussing with the baby. Emmett jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped, heading for the back door to help Bella out when he heard his name being screamed.

He turned around just in time to be hit with Rosalie running at him full bore and jumping into his arms.

"I missed you," the blonde said, acting like nothing had happened between them. "I can't believe you're home for good!"

Emmett felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone as he stood there stone still. Rosalie took his silence to be a good hing and began kissing him all over his face, repeating over and over how happy she was that he was home and how much she had missed him.

Edward turned his focus from Emmett and Rosalie to look at Bella. Bella stared at the reunion in shock, her complexion was ashen to say the least. Her dark brown eyes were filled with tears that seemed to slip down her cheeks without her permission as she swiped at them furiously, switching her attention to unbuckling the baby from her seat.

Edward saw the swarm of well wishers flow out of the small yellow house, and he had the distinct desire to get in his car and drive away with Bella and the baby to save them the torment he was sure was coming. He just prayed that Emmett opened his eyes and protected her from all that was coming their way.


	13. Welcome to Forks!

**_Thank you for all the reviews and well wishes with my surgery. I actually feel a whole lot better than I was told I would, but that could be just the pain killers speaking. I know I said I would send previews to all reviewers, but I decided that I would post the whole chapter tonight instead. On with the heartfail..._**

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Emmett finally seemed to come out of his stupor and push Rosalie away, glaring at her. Rose, for her part, didn't seem phased one bit. She smiled happily and moved out of the way just in time for his mother to pull him into a hug, with his father joining in on it. Emmett put it out of his mind for a while as he reconnected with his parents.

"My boy," Emily cried. "I'm so happy to have you home." Emmett pulled away trying to move towards the car again when he was swarmed by everyone else in attendance. Teachers, coaches, family friends, former classmates and their families, and even the waitress from the diner were all waiting to greet him.

He tried to find a moment to pull away to get to Bella and Emma but there just didn't seem to be one. In fact, in all the confusion and well wishes, he temporarily forgot about his wife and daughter, until he caught sight of a very pregnant Alice waddling towards him.

"Hold on," he said loudly, getting everyone's attention. "I have two very important people that I would like you all to meet." Everyone stood patiently and waited. He turned to open the door, smiling at Bella reassuringly and offered her his hand. Bella smiled tightly at him and lifted Emma from her seat, putting the little girl against her chest so her face was against Bella's neck.

As she shifted her legs out of the car, Bella gripped Emmett's hand like her life depended on it. She had been nervous enough to meet his mom and dad, but there were fifty other people out there too.

"Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," she said, standing up. Between the door and Emmett's sheer massive size, nobody could see who was stepping out of the car, and it wasn't until Emmett stepped out of the way that everyone caught sight of the petite brunette and the little bundle of lace that she held.

Emmett let go of Bella's hand and pulled her against his side, smiling down at her as he said, "Let's get inside so I can introduce everyone."

You could have heard a pin drop with how silent everyone got. Emmett continued to stare proudly at his wife and daughter while Bella looked at everyone else. There was not a smile among all the faces she saw and she fought the urge to throw up. She summoned every ounce of courage she had and smiled softly, "Hello," she said quietly.

It was like a dam burst and everyone started talking at once.

"Who is she?"

"Why is he holding her like that?"

"Who does she think she is?"

"I bet that she's trying to pawn that baby off as his!"

Emmett seemed oblivious to the negativity swirling around them. "I promise I will explain everything after we get the baby inside. You may all be happy to see me but it seems that the rain is too," Emmett said with a laugh. He put his arm around Bella and led her along with him, with everyone following behind. Bella used her second hand to hold Emma tight against her, in part trying to shield her newborn daughter from the ugliness of what was happening and in part as a security blanket for herself.

"Emmett!" she hissed, looking up at him.

"Give them a chance," he begged her.

She nodded her head and took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She would do what he asked, even though she was certain that it wasn't going to go as he had hoped.

Edward stood back by the car watching his friend lead his wife into the fray, like a lamb to the slaughter, unable to do anything but take in the reactions around him. He couldn't understand how his friend could be so blind to the glares his wife was garnering, not only from Rosalie, but from his parents and the rest of the guests.

Esme Cullen was not one to beat around the bush and she made her way to Edward's side.

"Spill," she told her son.

"He met her in Germany, proposed after six weeks, married her two days later and a little more than nine months later they had the baby," Edward said to her quickly. "He loves them both like nothing I've ever seen."

"And what about Rosalie?" Esme asked. "Did he just forget about her?"

"From what he said, the last time he even spoke to her is when she ended things with him after his first tour of duty," Edward said. "And the last thing he heard was that she was marrying Royce. He assumed that they were married and living their happily ever after. He thought that everyone would welcome Bella and their baby with open arms. I tried to warn him..."

"What? Why wouldn't Emily and Rose have told him anything?" Esme asked. "We need to get in there. This town is going to be none to welcoming of the new Mrs. McCarty I fear."

Esme Cullen couldn't have been more right.

Emmett stood at the center of the living room with his arm around Bella, waiting for everyone to gather so he could tell them how he managed to find the love of his life in the middle of fighting for his country, and how together they had made an incredible baby.

"Everyone," he said, smiling proudly. "This is my wife Bella and our 6 week old daughter, Emma Renee."

Rosalie made a choked sound, drawing the attention of everyone in the room before turning on her heels and running from the room sobbing.

Everyone stared after at the door for a moment after her departure before turning to look at the young couple in front of them with looks of pure hatred. Surprisingly, no one said a word for a moment. Unfortunately, the moment ended too soon.

"How could you bring that TRAMP into my house?" Emily McCarty seethed, glaring at her son and his wife. Emmett's mouth dropped in shock as he stared at his mother.

"And God only who knows whose bastard child that is!" she continued, pointing at the baby cradled in her mother's arms. "You were just the naïve small town boy that was in the right place at the right time to take the blame for her mistakes!"

With that, Emily McCarty ran out of the room after the girl she'd always believed would be her daughter-in-law, while her actual daughter-in-law broke down in tears in the middle of the living room in front of all of the assembled guests.

Embry McCarty glared at his son silently before turning away to follow his wife and Rosalie.

Emmett felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He didn't know how things could have happened like that. He quickly shook the thought away and tried to comfort his wife who was sobbing so hard that she was shaking.

Then the rest of the guests began to talk amongst themselves, making sure they were loud enough to be heard by the young couple.

"Can you believe that that little German tramp thought that she could pass off a baby as Emmett's?"

"She probably slept with half of the soldiers there! Little whore!"

"How dare she show up here?"

"There's no way that baby is his!"

"She must have gotten him really drunk to make him forget Rosalie!"

"She must have some talents if he went from Rosalie Hale to THAT homely little thing!"

Bella, cradled her daughter to her chest and sunk to the floor, sobbing so hard that she couldn't even stand. She couldn't understand how all these people could hate her and Emma so much.

The mean comments started getting louder until Emmett found his voice.

"OUT!" he hollered. "Leave!" He sunk to the ground and curled his body around the two loves of his life, unable to fathom how this had all gone so terribly wrong.


	14. Hit Me When I'm Down

_**Yesterday was a double update day, so make sure that you catch them both. I managed to get one out today, though the promised post surgical pain is hitting me hard so no promises for tomorrow!**_

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People just continued to stare at the train wreck until Esme and Carlisle Cullen, along with Edward pushed through the throng.

"Out," Esme said, shooing people out the door.

People made their way out of the house slowly, leaving only snide comments in their wake, leaving only the Cullens.

Finally, the house was silent, except for the sniffles from Bella and a slight whisper from Emmett.

"I'm so sorry, Babe," he repeated over and over again. "I love you."

Bella relaxed into her husband, trying to get her breathing under control. She could feel Emmett's hot tears on her head but she was unable to offer any words of solace to him. Little Emma had been oblivious to the drama around her, but as her mother finally calmed down, she chose that moment to make her presence known, wiggling a tiny bit before letting out a loud squawking cry.

"She needs to eat," Bella said, her voice hoarse from crying. Emmett had never felt more helpless. He had completely failed his wife and daughter, and now when Bella would need a quiet place to feed the baby, he couldn't even supply that.

"Ed," Emmett said finally. "Where are the keys to my house?"

"Emmett," Edward said, slowly. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?" Emmett asked, looking desperately at his friend.

"You don't want that," Edward affirmed.

"Damn it!" Emmett said, desperately. "Let me get them out of here, please!"

"Emmett, Honey, calm down," Esme said. "Edward's right..."

"No," Emmett said. "Please! She doesn't need this stress, nor does Emma. If one of you can't get me the key then I'll break down the damn door."

"Let her go over there," Alice said venomously from the corner, making her presence known. "I think she should."

"Alice!" Esme admonished, shocked that her daughter would say such a thing.

"Well, she took what wasn't hers!" Alice said defiantly, pressing herself further into her husband's arms. Jasper was at a loss. He wasn't about to speak against his wife publicly, but he couldn't believe that she would be so cruel, especially to someone in such a bad situation. Emma's cries became more plaintive as her mother did her best to soothe her, while coming under attack once more from someone that she knew Emmett had been close to.

"Edward," Emmett practically begged, ignoring Alice. "Please."

"Bring her to our house," Carlisle said. "Trust me on this."

Emmett looked at Carlisle for a second, noting how serious the look on the man's face was, and nodded, before helping Bella to her feet, cradling her and their daughter into his side. Once outside, Edward helped them all to the car, past the gawking citizens of Forks that were lingering on the lawn, and drove off towards the Cullen house.

"I don't understand," Bella said to her husband, who had ensconced himself in the backseat with her and their daughter. "I don't understand."

"I am so sorry, Bella," he said, fighting to regain some composure himself. "I don't either. Please believe me, if I had any clue that they were capable of that..."

Emmett couldn't even continue. He had never heard his mother speak like that to anyone and he was confused as hell as to what was going on, and even more why he couldn't go to the place that was supposed to be his home. What the hell had happened that the whole town hated a woman that they'd never even met? By the time they reached the Cullen house, Emma had worked herself up into quite a state. Bella was so worked up she couldn't even get the buckles undone on Emma's car seat, which brought on a new set of tears, so Edward reached in and grabbed the whole seat out, while Emmett pulled Bella out, carrying her into the house after Edward. Bella simply wrapped her arms around her husband and cried into his shoulder.

Edward led them straight to one of the guest rooms, wondering if there was a way he could have helped to avoid that scene. Even in his wildest dreams he never believed it could have been that bad. As he placed the baby carrier on the bed, he turned around and left without a word to Emmett or Bella, leaving them to try to figure this all out.

Emmett took Emma out of the seat and did his best to try to deal with her diaper and changing her out of the pretty dress that was supposed to have been special to meet her grandparents. The squirming, angry baby was not happy to be fussed with at all. She simply wanted the comfort and nourishment that her mother's milk provided. Bella just lay on her side, incapable of anything else at the moment. Once he had his daughter redressed in a little sleeper from the diaper bag, he helped Bella adjust her clothing and laid the starving, angry infant down next to her mother so she could suckle to her heart's content as Emmett sat beside them, almost afraid to touch them. He thought back to the last two days, when the three of them had snuggled and slept together, when this day had been filled with excitement and promise, instead of pain and hate.

He knew that his family would be surprised by the addition of his wife and daughter, but he thought it would be a happy surprise. Never did he think his mother would degrade her or the baby. Emily McCarty had never been like that. She had always been kind and welcoming to newcomers. He had never seen her rush to judgement as some of the other women in Forks tended to do. In fact, she was usually poking fun of the women who did. Yet she had done it in the most hateful way possible with his wife and daughter. Emmett's blood boiled as he saw the tears streaming down Bella's cheeks still.

"I am so sorry," he said to her again. "I love you two so much. I am just so sorry."

Bella didn't respond verbally, but the constant stream of tears seemed to ebb some and her chocolate brown eyes closed, leaving her dark lashes laying against her far too pale cheeks. His heart ached as he watched Bella struggle to keep her composure. Maybe he deserved what had happened here, he had after all, kept this from his family, but only because they didn't stand a chance of getting to know each other from a distance. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone.

His mind moved to Rosalie and how she had reacted from the time he pulled up to the house. First she flung herself at him, as if they were still involved in some way, and then she ran from the room as if she were the wronged party in all of this. As Emmett tried to work through all this, he kept his eyes focused on his girls, wanting nothing more than to take the last few hours back.

Finally, Emma fell asleep, still latched gently to her mother's breast and Bella's deep gulping breaths subsided, exchanged for the soft sounds of her slumber. Emmett looked down at the two of them and his heart shattered even more as he saw Bella's left hand resting over their daughter, her wedding ring glistening in the late afternoon's light.

"I am so sorry, My Love," he said to her, knowing that she really wasn't hearing him anymore. "I will find a way to fix this." Then he crept out of the room to find Edward, and maybe get some answers.


	15. Talking to Edward

Edward was downstairs, waiting for his friend.

"Apparently I should have listened to you," Emmett said, feeling completely humbled.

"I should have tried harder. I thought that you knew... about Rose," he said.

"I still don't know anything," Emmett said. "Fuck! I promised Charlie. I fucking promised her father that I wouldn't hurt her."

"Em," Edward said. "Rose did start dating Royce after you signed on for your second tour. She was just so pissed that you put your desire to fight for your country in front of her. They were engaged for over a year, but she couldn't set the date. Finally Royce gave her an ultimatum and apparently, she placed the ring in his hand and walked out. You had just signed on for your third tour..."

"Why didn't someone tell me?" Emmett asked him. Edward didn't have an answer for that, instead he focused on his own question.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about Bella?" Edward asked, looking at Emmett closely.

"I'm asking myself that same question," Emmett said. "Honestly, when I first met her, I just didn't think of it. I just knew that I wanted to be with her all the time. I couldn't even fathom going a day without seeing her. Then I got my orders to go back to Afghanistan... I just couldn't do it without knowing I had her to come back to. Her father is an MP, a cop... basically. I went to his house, knowing she was at work and he would be home and I worked up the nerve to ask him for her hand in marriage. He agreed and so I took the guys with me to a jewelry store off base and picked her ring. I proposed to her that night and we talked about where to get married and tried to figure out a date... It came down to the fact that we didn't want to wait, so we asked the base chaplain to marry us two days later."

"And you never thought to call?" Edward asked.

"Do you want to know the biggest irony?" Emmett asked. "My mother called her a tramp... and she was a virgin on our wedding night. She never even told me..."

"Em," Edward said.

"We spent two weeks after we got married holed up together and it wasn't until we were talking about home on the second to last day that I even thought about any of you. I didn't want to call my mother and tell her, and then leave Bella at her mercy as I went back to a war zone. Then we found out she was pregnant... and I was so happy, Man. I was on cloud nine, strutting around like a peacock. All my phone time was taken talking to Bella and it isn't something that you can just write in an email. I managed a couple of short trips to Germany, once while she was pregnant and again when she was due. I was there to watch Emma enter the world. And now I've broken all my promises to her too."

"Em," Edward said.

"I told her I would protect her always. I promised she would be the most loved baby... and her own grandmother hates her!" Emmett said, tears streaming down his face. It was a complete dichotomy for Edward to see his massive friend, still wearing his uniform, crying openly.

"I'm so sorry," Edward said to him.

"I only had to go back for four weeks after she was born, and then I basically stopped in Landstuhl for the night to help Bella pack the last things she needed for her and Emma, and we stepped onto a plane home. We spent the night last night together and I... I thought my mother would be happy for me. I had no clue that Rosalie was waiting for me. How was I supposed to know that? I would have... I would have done something different. I really don't understand the whole Rose thing anyway. Shit!"

"Rose began working at the garage after she broke up with Royce. She practically lived with your folks, for a long time. Everyone, Rose and your mom included, just assumed that you would come back and it would be Emmett and Rose as it always had been. Then you called and told your mom that you were coming back after this tour and that you wanted to buy a house and settle down..." Edward said, shaking his head.

"That was just before I returned to combat. Bella and I had just been married," Emmett explained. "When Bella was six months along, I was on a 48 hour leave with them. I was so excited that I called my mom to tell her, but she was going on and on about buying the Cope house, then she practically hung up on me."

"She was meeting Rose at the house..." Edward said.

"And why is it that I couldn't even bring my wife there?" Emmett asked.

"Rose and your mom decorated the place," Edward said with a sigh. "It is filled with pictures and mementos of your life with her... I couldn't let that happen to Bella. Shit, I only spoke to her briefly and I get it, I understand why you fell in love with her."

"Now what?" Emmett asked. "I can't even look at Bella and Emma, knowing the pain I put them in... and how do I face my mother when she was front and center in that?"

"I don't know, Man," Edward said. "And then there's Rose..."

"Fuck!" Emmett said. "She was all I knew for so long. I knew that we'd grow up and get married from the time we were really young... but Bella... she's everything I could ever ask for. Now, she probably hates me. God! I hate me."

"I don't know," Edward said. "I wish I had tried harder on the ferry... maybe this could have been prevented. But I had no clue that your mom would react that way."

"I have never seen her act that way," Emmett said. "The things she said... I don't think Bella will ever get past that. I don't know if I will."

"So where do you go from here?" Edward asked him.

"I guess I have to talk to my parents," Emmett said with a resigned sigh.

"What about Bella?" Edward asked.

"I'm sure she'll sleep for a couple of hours," Emmett said. "Between the flights, the time change and the stress, she needs it."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to just leave her right now? She doesn't know anyone here... If she wakes up, Emmett..." Edward cautioned his friend.

"I have to have an answer for her," Emmett said. "I have to be able to tell her what the hell happened back there and where we go from here."

"It's your call. What do you want me to tell her if she wakes up?" Edward asked.

"Tell her I went to fix this," Emmett said.

"Take the car," Edward said to Emmett. "Just hurry back. This is fucked up enough as it is."

Emmett took the keys and hurried out the door, jumping into the car and heading down the driveway. What neither man counted on was the fact that the guest room that Bella was in was directly above the garage, and the sound of Edward's car starting and backing down the driveway had woken Bella. She looked out the window and saw her husband in the car, leaving her. She looked to her innocent daughter, sleeping peacefully on the bed and her heart shattered even more.

She thought about the blonde woman that she had seen. She knew it was Rosalie, but Emmett had said she was married. That was not the greeting a married woman should give her ex. Had he lied to her?She couldn't believe that, but then he had been certain that she and Emma would be a happy surprise, and that certainly wasn't happy. She wrapped her arms around herself and struggled not to cry again. Here she was, half way around the world from her only other family, and she was all alone. She sat at the window and waited for Emmett to return. Another car pulled up, and she could see Carlisle and Esme exit the car and enter the house. Still she waited at the window.


	16. Talking to Emily and Embry

**_I am so thrilled with all the reviews! LOVE! Thank you all! Enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think!_**

Across town, Emmett made his way back into the house that had been the scene of the biggest war he'd ever seen. He didn't knock, he just walked in. Emily, Embry and Rosalie sat on the couches in the living room and looked up at him in surprise. The decorations set out for his welcome home party still hung gaily from the walls, but the atmosphere was anything but.

"Hello," he said gruffly, as he walked into the house. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"I'll just go," Rosalie said meekly, walking past Emmett. They all stood silently as Rosalie made her way out the door.

"Where is _SHE_?" his mother sneered after the door had closed.

"Bella and our daughter are at the Cullens sleeping, thank God," Emmett said to her, looking at his mother with pure hatred. "How dare you treat her that way?"

"What was I supposed to do? Throw my arms around her and welcome her into my home?" she asked incredulously.

"That's what I was hoping for," Emmett answered truthfully. "And I would have settled for civil."

"So excuse me that I didn't go jump up and hug your little German whore," Emily McCarty spat.

"My German whore?" Emmett thundered. "You don't know one thing about her and you pass judgement like you are a fucking queen!"

"Maybe if my son had told me he was bringing a tramp home with him I would have been more prepared," she sneered.

"Stop degrading my wife," Emmett bellowed. "You know nothing about her..."

"And whose fault is that?" Emily said harshly.

"It's mine," Emmett said, owning it. "It's all mine. But I never believed that you would treat someone so harshly! I thought that maybe, just maybe, you would be happy for me. I love her more than anything."

"She's a mistake," Emily said. "You can fix it and even if that baby is really yours, I'm sure Rose won't mind..."

"Listen to yourself!" Emmett said, looking at her like she had grown a second head. "You know nothing about me anymore. I don't want Rose. I don't want anything to do with her. I stopped wanting her when she wouldn't even listen to me when I tried to tell her why I needed to go back. She didn't even want to hear what I felt. When she went with Royce... Royce, the man that hated me and was willing to do anything he could to hurt me, any feelings that I still had were gone."

"But he was a mistake," Emily said. "She was angry and hurt and wanted to hurt you..."

"And Bella would never do that," Emmett said.

"She probably couldn't because she can't even speak enough English," Emily snipped. "Do you even understand German?"

"No," Emmett said. "I don't. You're right, Bella can speak a little German because she made a point to learn some while she was there, but my wife is as American as Apple Fucking Pie!"

"And yet she was sitting on an army base in Germany waiting for the right soldier to buy her..." Emily tried again.

"Shut up," Emmett snapped. "I am so close to walking out that door and never coming back."

"You would do that?" she asked.

"In a fucking heart beat," Emmett said. "You want to know the worst part. I dreamed of coming home with her. And Bella, she was happy to do so. Her dad has always been military. She never had a hometown and she told me that she would move back here with me, to share mine. God, Mom! I would have followed her to the moon, but she was willing to move here, and make a life with me here. I told her what a great place it was. I told her that the people were warm and friendly. I told her about my mom... And you know what... I was wrong. I lied to her about everything."

"Of course she'd come home with you," Emily said. "There was money to be had here. She probably can't do anything but fu..."

"Do not finish that sentence," Emmett warned her.

"Let me share some facts with you," he said. "First, my wife is brilliant. She is a nurse, graduated top of her class with her pick of a job. She chose to work as a trauma nurse in New York City until she got the call that her mother had terminal cancer. She dropped everything to rush to Germany and be with her mother in the end. After she passed, she stayed to help her father cope."

Emily and Embry were silent.

"She took a job as a nurse there, working with incoming soldiers. That was where she met me. I met her a week later while out with the guys," Emmett said.

"And you got the tramp pregnant..." Emily finished.

"No," Emmett said, looking at his mother. "I courted her. I fell in love with her and I put a wedding ring on her finger before I was even with her in that way. And my tramp or whore as you so lovingly put it, was a virgin."

"So when did you marry her?" Emily asked.

"Almost a year ago," Emmett answered her.

"And you couldn't have told me?" she asked.

"You're right," Emmett conceded, "I should have. But being with her... I have never felt so alive. And when I was going to be sent back... I wanted her to be mine. Not my girlfriend, but my fiancee. She felt the same way and we were married two days later by the base chaplain."

Emily stayed silent and listened to her son.

"I called you about finding me a house the day before I went back," he said to her. "I wanted someplace to bring my wife home to, but I couldn't just tell you that I got married and run away to a war zone. Then she was pregnant... Mom, I have never been so happy in my whole life. When I was back in Germany, I tried to call you and tell you, but you told me about the Cope place and hung up. The next time I was in Germany, I knew I had less than two months to go and I decided that I would just bring Bella and the baby home with me. I thought you would be happy for me. I thought you wouldn't want to see me alone... but then your communication skills were no better than mine."

"And you're sure that the baby is yours?" she asked. "She's not just pawning someone else's kid off on you?"

"For fuck's sake!" Emmett said. "If you paused for one second to look at MY daughter, you'd know. Not that I ever questioned... Bella is a good person. She is sweet and gentle, kind and good to the very core."

"And yet she married you when she knew there was someone waiting for you at home?" she sneered.

"And how the hell was she supposed to know that?" he asked. "I certainly didn't! The last time I spoke to Rosalie was four years ago. The last time you even mentioned her name was six months later to tell me she was engaged to Royce. She had moved on. Was I not supposed to? Am I supposed to be some mind reader?"

"You have wanted to marry Rose since you were five years old. I didn't expect that to change," Emily defended.

"You expected me to pine for a woman that I believed had married my enemy?" Emmett asked incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was never the right time," Emily said. "I thought once you got home it would be just as it always was..."

"Never," he said.

"But I love her," Emily said. "She is already like a daughter to me."

"And in the meantime you have probably killed any chance you had of ever getting to know Bella. God, Mom! She is such a great person. She is beautiful, kind, and sweet. She dropped everything to move to a fucking army base in Germany when her mom was dying, and stayed there to help her dad after she had passed. She worked as an army triage nurse at the hospital, helping injured soldiers," Emmett said. "And after we got married, she could have had a house of her own on base because we were married, but she stayed with her dad and continued to work. She insisted that my pay checks go towards our house because she made more than enough. She worked until she was two weeks away from her due date, and only the reason she quit was because she told me that she would move to this hole-in-the-wall town with me."

"She should have..." Emily started, trying to find fault with the tiny woman who had entered her house earlier.

"She should have what? What could she have done to help you accept her? Now, I do deserve your anger. I do deserve for you to yell at me and call me names. But Bella doesn't. You tell me what she did to deserve being called a tramp," Emmett said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Tell me what my daughter, who isn't even seven weeks old, did to deserve being called a bastard by her only grandmother! I'm sorry that your plan for my life didn't work. And I am really sorry that I set foot back in this town at all." Emmett stood to leave, turning his back on his parents.

"Emmett, stop!" Embry said, speaking up for the first time.

"Why Dad?" Emmett said, turning to look at his father. "Right now, there are two people at the Cullens' house that I love more than life itself. It was my job to protect them and instead my wife cried herself to sleep, because of me. I failed them horribly and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to them. I came here tonight to say my piece and tomorrow I will take my wife and daughter and leave. I won't make her stay here and deal with this shit. The whole town has already passed judgement on her, and they've never even met her. Do you know what I told her about Forks?"

His parents were silent.

"I told her that it was a perfect spot to raise our daughter and any future children. But because you guys had some fucked up belief that Rosalie and I were going to get back together after everything that happened, I'm not even sure I want to raise our daughter here," Emmett told them.

"So what you're going to leave?" his mother asked.

"Yes," Emmett said, no hesitation. "I'll make arrangements to have the house sold and I'll go."

"Emmett! You can't be serious!" his mother said.

"Why can't I?" Emmett said. "You know what... I loved... emphasis on the D, Rosalie. She was my world. But what I felt for her can't hold a candle to what I feel for Bella."

"But you hardly know her!" his mother said.

"I know her as well as I know myself," he said. "She's good, Mom. She would have done anything for me. She didn't even think twice about picking up her life and committing to live in fucking FORKS for the rest of our lives. She told me she had never really been around babies... but you should see how good she is with our little girl. Emma comes first for her."

"Emma?" his mom said.

"Yeah, Emma Renee, named after her two grandmas. We decided against Emily because of where we were going to be living. We didn't want the fact that there were two Emily McCartys in the same small town," Emmett said. "Not that we have to worry about that anymore."

Emily McCarty was humbled. The boy that she reluctantly sent off to war was nowhere to be found. In his place was a man, and a good man.

"And what about Rosalie?" she asked silently.

"A part of me will always love her," Emmett said. "But that was little boy love. Infatuation. My heart never leapt out of my chest when I saw her, and had Bella asked me to not come home, to not stay in Forks, I wouldn't have. Her happiness means more to me than anything else. Now, I am going back to her. I'll be in touch about arrangements for the house... and since Rosalie is working at the garage with you, I don't need to worry about that either."

"Son," Embry McCarty said. "I'm sorry."

Emmett didn't wait to here anymore, just moved to the front door. He was surprised at how late the night had gotten and hurried to Edward's car, anxious to get back to his girls. The streets of Forks were almost completely dark by the time he pulled into the Cullen's winding driveway, and as he pulled to a stop in front of the house he looked up to the darkened window of the bedroom where he had left them, smiling sadly before making his way to the front door. He knocked softly, not wanting to disturb his girls and Esme answered the door.

"You're back!" she exclaimed, pulling him in for a hug. "Since when do you knock, Emmett McCarty?"

"I guess I learned some manners while I was away," he said, smiling sadly at her, before looking longingly up the stairs.

"You better get up to those girls up there," Esme said. "I heard Emma starting to fuss a few minutes ago."

"Thank you," he said, kissing her cheek.

"Tell me when you are ready for some food," Esme said. "We're eating in twenty minutes, but don't feel like you have to join us."

"Thank you," he said honestly as he moved to the stairs, taking them two at a time. He needed to be with his girls more than anything.


	17. Talking to Bella

_**Here's yesterday's chapter. The day kicked my butt and I fell asleep before posting. Today's chapter will be up tonight. Thank you for all the great reviews!**_

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He gently opened the door and walked quietly into the room. He needn't have bothered as the bed was empty. Bella was sitting on the small window seat, her chest bare as their daughter suckled contentedly away. In the moonlight he could see the tear tracks on her cheeks and his heart broke even more.

"I'm so sorry for this, Bella," he said to her, dropping to his knees at her feet, his own heart shattering just a little more. "I love you. I love you so much."

"You do?" she asked quietly, looking deeply into his eyes.

"More than anything," he said looking up to her. "You and our daughter are my life."

"But what about that girl? Rosalie." Bella asked.

"Apparently, I'm not the only person keeping secrets," Emmett said, sighing sadly. "Apparently she broke up with the douchebag a couple of years ago and has been waiting for me to come home. Somehow my mom thought we would just pick up where we left off."

"But do you love her?" Bella asked.

"In a way," he answered honestly. "But I never loved her the way that I love you. I told my parents tonight that I had loved Rosalie like a boy; puppy love and infatuation. My love for you is all the way to my core. It is deep and unbreakable."

"Really?" she asked him, searching his eyes for the truth to his words.

"Truly," he answered. "The the very depth of my soul." Between the words that he spoke and the look in his eyes, Bella saw everything she needed. She tucked Emma securely into one arm and launched them at Emmett, sobbing and laughing and loving him with everything she had. He held her to him, just repeating over and over again how much he loved her, loved them both.

"I love you, Emmett," she said, pulling away and looking up at him. He could see the pain she still carried and he wanted to do whatever he could to fix it.

"We'll leave tomorrow... wherever you want to go," he said.

"No," she said firmly. "We have to stay, Em. We have to give them a chance. They are your family and we have to make things right."

He kissed the top of her head. "You don't need to do this for me. Your happiness means more to me than anything in this whole world," he said. "My parents, friends, everyone... The people here can be closed minded. The truth is only what they want to see. And what they see is that I betrayed one of their own. It seems everybody in town knew that Rosalie was here waiting for me to return. So by returning with you, I am the cad, the betrayer. But turning on you like that... Bella, if I live to be 100, I will never forget it. I will never forgive them."

"I don't understand. I mean. Rosalie left you. She was engaged to someone else and you were supposed to just accept that?" Bella asked.

"Let me tell you everything," Emmett said, holding her close. "Rosalie Hale moved to town when she was five. I pulled her ponytails the first day of school, and came home and announced to my mom that I was going to marry her. After that, it was pretty much legend. So we were together. We were pretty much Forks' version of royalty. I was the jock, she was the cheerleader, king and queen of the prom, all that pointless high school crap. But that's what people here want to remember."

"It makes no sense," Bella said, snuggling into his arms while moving Emma up to her shoulder to burp her.

"When she decided not to wait for me, it hurt. But not enough for me to let Newton and Dwyer go back without me. We had each other's backs over there. I couldn't leave them. She couldn't understand that. She demanded I come home and grow up. Grow up... Like a bloody war wasn't grown up. Watching men you know and care about lose their lives isn't grown up. I was hurt, but I knew where I needed to be. The next thing I hear, she's dating. I didn't even care. But the nail in the coffin, the thing that ensured that I would never even be able to look at her in any positive light was when I heard that she got engaged to Royce King," Emmett said, practically growling the name.

"Royce King?" Bella asked. Emmett frowned, not even liking hearing that name coming from her lips.

"Our biggest rival in high school was the team from Port Angeles. King was their quarterback. He was a grade A prick, getting in people's faces and crap. But he went the extra mile with me, always pushing. He even keyed my car when the guys and I were in PA to go to the movies. Rose knew everything about him, and I'm guessing that she thought she would get somewhere because I wouldn't be able to stand letting him have her. But I just saw it as proof that she wasn't who I needed her to be."

"I can't believe she would do that," Bella said.

"My parents care about her. Always have. Her family is difficult and so my mother has taken her under her wing over the years. She told me tonight that she has always seen her as a daughter and wanted me to make that happen. I told her I never would," he said. "They know now that you and Emma are my life, and if they can't accept you guys completely then I will be gone. We're a package deal. All or nothing."

"They don't have to like me, Em," Bella said. "But Emma should have a chance to know her only grandma..."

"All or nothing," Emmett reiterated. "I won't have Emma near someone who could be so cruel to you."

"I love you, Em," she said, placing a kiss on his jaw.

"As hurt as all the breakup shit with Rosalie made me... It was nothing compared to what I felt today," he said with a sigh. "Seeing and hearing people attack you because of my actions... or inactions. I should have told them. I was just so happy in our little bubble that I couldn't see how anything could have gone wrong today. I never even considered Rosalie being an issue so I thought that this would be nothing but happy news. I thought she'd see that I had met and married the most beautiful, wonderful woman in the whole world. That together we had created the most beautiful baby girl in all of history," he said.

"Not like you're biased at all," she said, smiling in spite of the heavy words.

"Nah," he said, gently lifting her chin and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"So you went to see your parents?" she asked.

"I did," he said.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Better than this afternoon," he said. "But barely. I told them what I needed to say and that I was selling the house, taking my girls and leaving. Just say the word and we're gone."

"Em, can we stay for a bit? I mean, if the Cullens don't mind... or we can even get a hotel room if they do," she said. "I don't want to leave until we know that we've done everything we can to make things right."

"Whatever you want," Emmett said, plucking Emma, who still hadn't burped off her her mother's shoulder and placing her on his, patting her softly and inhaling her sweet baby scent. Bella leaned against him, happy to have this time together, even if it was on the floor of the Cullen's guest room. Finally Emma let out a massive belch, which made both parents laugh, before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

"Honestly, how could anyone doubt she's my daughter," he said, smiling at his wife.

She smiled happily at him, in return, relaxing into him again.

"Esme invited us down for dinner if we want to join them," he said, seeming reluctant to bring it up. "If not she said she'd be more than happy to bring us some food up here."

"I couldn't ask her to do that," Bella said frowning.

"Well, shall we go for dinner then?" he asked her.

"I just need a minute first," Bella said scurrying out of his arms and into the bathroom. Emmett stayed sitting on the floor, he hadn't mastered the art of getting up with a sleeping baby in his arms yet.

"Ready?" Bella asked, coming out of the bathroom after splashing some water on her face.

"Yeah," he said. "But I could use a little help getting up."

She giggled and moved across to take the baby from him. Emma didn't even notice the movement and Emmett hopped up and moved to Bella's side.

"Are you okay?" he asked her as they opened the door.

"I will be," she said, holding her head up.


	18. An Evening with The Cullens

Emmett led the way down the stairs and followed the noise to the dining room, where the Cullens were gathering to eat.

"Hello," Esme said happily, smiling at the young couple as they arrived in the room. "I'm so glad you decided to join us."

"Thank you for having us," Bella said politely. "And for all your help earlier."

"Well," the prim and proper Esme Cullen said. "It's all about keeping your head while those around you are losing theirs."

"Now we should introduce ourselves properly," Carlisle said. "You know Edward by now. I'm his father, Carlisle, and you've met my wife of almost thirty five years, Esme."

"Nice to meet you all," Bella said.

They were led to adjoining seats and the food started being passed around. Bella had mastered the art of one handed eating already and as Emmett seemed to sense her dilemma with passing and serving, he took over the task without being asked, serving his wife almost a perfect serving size for her. Conversation at the dinner table revolved around Emmett and Bella with Esme oohing and awwing appropriately. When dinner finished, the three men got up to clear the plates, insisting that the two ladies remain seated.

"Why don't we head for the living room," Esme said to her. "I need to get a better peek at that little girl of yours."

Bella sat on the couch, and Esme sat right beside her, admiring the tiny baby in her mother's arms.

"She is absolutely beautiful," she declared. "She has your nose, and cheeks, but the rest is all Emmett. Are her eyes that dark baby blue still?"

"No," Bella said. "She was born with his crystal blue eyes."

"So precious," Esme said touching Emma's little hand.

"Would you like to hold her?" she asked Esme.

"Could I?" she asked with a blinding smile. "It's been a few years since I've held such a little thing."

"She's hardly little. She was nine and a half pounds at birth and weighed 11 pounds the morning we left Germany," Bella said, as she tucked the baby into Esme's arms.

"You are so good with her. You must have had a lot of experience with babies," Esme said.

"None at all," Bella said. "I just do what feels right."

"Well then you're a natural," Esme told her.

"Thank you," Bella said. The two women talked about Baby Emma, and Esme told her plenty of embarrassing stories of Emmett when he was young, since she had known him from birth. When the men rejoined them, after cleaning the kitchen, they were all thrilled to see the color on Bella's cheeks and the smile on her face, but none were more thrilled then Emmett. He sat down on the other side of Bella, and pulled her into his arms almost effortlessly as he smiled at Esme. He was thrilled that someone in his life accepted his wife and daughter so easily, the only pang in his heart was that it wasn't his mother.

"She is so beautiful, Emmett," Esme said, looking down at the tiny cherubic infant in her arms.

"That's all from her Mama," Emmett said, pulling Bella tighter to him.

"I can't wait to be a grandma," Esme said, lowering her head to kiss Emma's head, taking in a deep breath of the clean baby smell.

"When is Alice due?" Emmett asked, more to be polite than anything. He remembered Alice's snide comment from earlier.

"Two months," Esme said, stiffening. She remembered her daughter's comments too, in fact that was why they didn't return home right away, choosing instead to go to Alice and Jasper's house and chastise their daughter for her behavior. Alice Whitlock had appeared suitably contrite, but her mother knew better. She and Rosalie had been best friends, co-captains of the cheer squad, and both still walked around the town like the people of Forks owed them something. Esme had warned her to be nice to Bella and Emmett, and if she couldn't to stay away.

Bella sat relaxed in Emmett's arms and stifled a yawn. Her internal clock was a complete mess since her home in Germany was nine hours ahead, and though it was only a little after 8:00pm in Forks, it was after 5:00 am in Landstuhl, add the stress, the travel and the severe lack of sleep that the couple had the night before. Emmett had been traveling even longer than his wife, add to that the fact that Kabul was an additional two and a half hours ahead of Landstuhl's time zone and most would be surprised that the man was still functioning.

"You three should get some sleep," Esme said. "Do you have a bed for Emma?"

"We bought a little travel bassinet," Bella responded. "I think it's still in the car."

"With the suitcases," Emmett said. "I'll take care of it."

"Let me help," Edward said stepping up to help.

"Since you boys are busy, I think I may just take the chance to snuggle the little lady," Carlisle said.

"Keep your hands off my wife," Emmett growled playfully.

"I was talking about the baby," Carlisle laughed, snatching the little girl from his wife's arms. "I get to see these little guys all the time at the hospital but I don't ever get to just snuggle."

"While you're doing that I should show Bella where everything is," Esme said.

"How were you able to fit all your belongings into the trunk?" Esme asked, concerned that there were more things coming soon.

"When I moved to Germany it was fast," Bella explained. "Anything that I couldn't fit it my suitcase I gave to friends or donated to charity. I lived with my father there and never had a chance to accumulate much more. Then Emmett only had his one bag, and the rest is Emma's."

"I don't think Alice could fit her bags for a weekend in Seattle in the that trunk," Esme said, before biting her tongue, internally chastising herself for mentioning her daughter after her behavior today.

"It's okay, Esme," Bella said. "Don't feel like you can't mention her around me."

"It was just all so awful today," Esme mused. "I never thought any of them would have acted the way they did."

"I have big shoulders. Product of moving so often as a child. I didn't count on them attacking Emma though..."

"I should say not," Esme said. "I couldn't believe my ears, and I will have words with plenty of the residents of this town."

"Don't cause any problems on my behalf," Bella said.

"I will if I have to," Esme said, looking at the girl. "Nobody deserves to be treated like that."

"Thank you," I said. "I guess I was lulled into a false sense of security since I got along with Mike and Phil so well."

"Mike and Phil?" Esme asked.

"Emmett's army buddies," Bella answered. "His friends from his unit."

"I heard about some friends, but I thought they had different names..." Esme said.

"I'm guessing you probably know them as Newton and Dwyer. Mike Newon and Phil Dwyer," Bella explained. "They were injured with Emmett and I got to spend a lot of time with them in Germany."

"Emily and Embry only told us that he had been wounded, not that his buddies were hurt too." Esme said. "They even said it was minor and that we shouldn't worry."

"I think the definition of minor changes when you are on an army base," Bella told her, honestly. "In New York they would have been categorized as critical injuries. But, considering that we dealt daily with soldiers who were missing limbs, they were minor injuries. Though their lack of field triage was alarming."

"Wow," Esme said, concerned that Emmett had been far more injured than was first thought.

"It took him eight days in hospital to recover," Bella added. "But he's strong so I'm not surprised."

"I'm sure Carlisle and Edward will love to talk to you about all of that," Esme said. "They love to talk shop."

The two women chatted a bit more as Esme showed Bella where the extra towels were and where the laundry room was. She told Bella that they could stay as long as they liked.

"Esme?" Bella asked tentatively. "Will they ever get over everything? Emily and Embry, I mean. I don't really care if they don't ever like me... But Emma..."

"I have known Emily McCarty since I first came to Forks, before either of us had children. She was one of the few women I would consider my friends here because she was level headed. The Emily I saw today was not the same person that I've known for all these years. I can't say what she'll do for sure, but I hope you give her a little time. Rosalie has been like a daughter to her for twelve years or more, so she reacted out of her hurt for Rosalie. I only hope that she sees through it eventually."

Bella nodded in understanding, but said nothing. Esme left her to her thoughts and moved to another benign topic.

"Help yourself to anything in the kitchen," she said. "We all know how much Emmett likes to eat, so don't be shy."

Bella smiled at her and the women shifted into talking about Emmett's epic eating. By the time the women were back in the front room, Emmett and Edward had everything unloaded from the car, and up to the room that Emmett and Bella were staying in. As soon as he saw his wife return, he bade the Cullens good night and pried his sleeping daughter away from a very doting Carlisle. Bella also wished them all good night before following her husband up to their room.

It took them a few minutes to set the little bassinet up for Emma. Emmett tried his best, without reading the instructions of course, but he just seemed to struggle and fumble with it. Bella managed to change Emma and dress her for bed, before placing her in her father's arms, reading the instructions and setting up the troublesome piece of equipment. Once the bed was in place, she put in some burp cloths to make it seem soft and familiar before returning to Emmett's side.

"Sorry," he said, sheepishly.

"There is nothing to be sorry about," Bella said. "Are you ready to lay her down?"

"Just about," he said. "Bella kissed Emma's soft cheek before leaving her to her daddy while she went to her suitcase and grabbed her night stuff. Emmett sniffed his daughters tiny head again, before kissing her and laying her down. "Daddy loves you," he said quietly before turning to get his own stuff for bed. Once ready for bed, Emmett laid there waiting for Bella, he needed to feel her in his arms tonight. Bella needed him the same way and climbed into bed with him, placing her head on his shoulder. She knew he would need to talk some more but she was leaving it up to him to take the lead.


	19. The Cullens Exposed

_**Because I love you all so much I am posting this today (second post of the day). All of your kind reviews have kept me afloat for the past few days when life seemed to want to knock me down. Hopefully, the worst is past and sunshine and rainbows will abound!**_

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Emmett had enjoyed the evening with the Cullens as he always had. This was the kind of thing that he had missed while overseas. He watched with pure joy as Bella opened up to the people he had always considered his second parents.

Parents.

That was the problem. As much as he loved that the Cullens had accepted his wife and daughter so easily, he hurt because his own parents had not been willing to accept them at all. Watching Esme and Carlisle snuggle Emma made him hurt. He could see how much they adored his daughter, but her own grandmother had called her a bastard.

A bastard.

When Bella yawned, he knew it was his signal to get them up to bed. He wanted so desperately to take care of them, but he had failed so completely miserably to this point. Edward offered to help him carry the bags from the car and as the two buddies stepped out into the cool night air, Edward stopped him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Not even a little bit," Emmett responded truthfully.

"Bella seems to be doing okay," he said.

"She shouldn't be," Emmett sighed.

"But she is," Edward said. "You were the one who told me she was incredible and kind-hearted. She has shown that. Take it as it comes and you guys will be alright."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Emmett said with a sigh. "All I have ever known is the shop and now, that's shot all to hell."

"You have a lot of options, Man," Edward said, trying to cheer him up.

"Do I?" Emmett asked. "My ex-girlfriend is living in the house that I was going to bring my family home to. And from the sounds of things she has turned it into some shrine to our better days."

"That pretty much sums the house up," Edward agreed.

"The job that I was going to do to support my family has been taken by that same ex," he continued. "I just don't understand how my parents could think that I would just forgive and forget. She was the one who broke up with me. She was the one that turned to another man because I wasn't important enough for her to wait for. And yet my mom welcomes her back and lets her play house in my home? I just can't make any sense of it."

"I agree, Man," Edward said. "I wondered how you managed to forgive her for all that. I just didn't feel it was my place to ask."

"This is so screwed up," Emmett sighed.

"I'm here for you, Man," Edward said. "I wish there was more I could do."

It only took the guys one trip to get everything up to the guest room. They returned to the living room to find Carlisle singing to little Emma, even though she was sound asleep. It killed Emmett to watch that. It should have been his father doing that.

When Bella returned with Esme, Emmett practically ripped Emma away from Carlisle, bidding them all a quick goodnight. Bella did the same and suddenly the three Cullens were alone.

"What a day!" Edward said.

"Indeed," Carlisle agreed.

"I cannot believe that Emily did that," Esme said. "I just... I've never heard her speak to anyone like that, let alone a sweet girl like Bella."

"I feel sort of responsible for everything," Edward said with a sigh.

"Me too," Esme agreed. "I was just so excited that he was finally coming home. I wanted Emily and Embry to be able to make it memorable."

"It certainly was that," Edward said.

"We can't change anything now," Carlisle said. "But I fear that wasn't a one time event. Even if Emily and Embry find a way to redeem themselves, there will till be massive repercussions with people of Forks I fear."

"I'm certain," Esme said.

"What was with Alice?" Edward asked his parents. "I know that she and Rosalie are friends but that was just vile."

"Your father and I had words with her before we came home," Esme sighed. "And Jasper was none too pleased with her either. I just... I couldn't believe that she could say those things to Bella."

"What did she have to say for herself?" Edward asked.

Esme simply harrumphed.

"She said it was her hormones," Carlisle said, when it was obvious that Esme wasn't going to share anymore.

"Her pat excuse for everything miserable lately," Edward said shaking his head.

"Well, I've told her in no uncertain terms that if she couldn't be nice than she should shut her mouth from now on," Esme huffed.

"She may have also compared her to the Stanley women," Carlisle said, fighting a smirk.

"You compared Alice to the Stanleys?" Edward said, as he barked out a laugh.

"I might have," Esme said. "I certainly wasn't wrong about it."

"This is all just such a mess," Edward sighed. "I'm not sure I want to come back here..."

"After today I understand that," Esme said, sighing. "But it's not like Angela has a Rosie to compete with here."

"But she has two fathers," Edward said, thinking of his longtime girlfriend.

Angela Webber was a fellow resident. She was sweet, smart, beautiful and completely perfect for Edward. She was outgoing to his more laid back personality and they just clicked in every possible way. His family loved her and Edward loved her dads and brother too. She hadn't had the easiest of times growing up without a mother and with two gay dads, but she had persevered. Now that the people of Forks had showed such disdain for Bella, Edward was certainly rethinking his plan to move here after their residency.

"I don't know what to say, Son," Carlisle said. "I would have told you something different yesterday that I would now. I know I had really looked forward to sharing a practice with you and Angela. Cullen, Cullen and Webber."

"Not for long," Edward muttered.

"Pardon," Esme squealed.

"We have been talking about getting married," Edward said quietly as his mother launched herself at him. "We want a destination wedding after Allie has the baby. Just friends and family... now even that is messed up."

"Why would that be messed up?" Esme asked.

"Because, as it stands now I can't invite Alice and Jasper with Emmett and Bella," Edward said, running his fingers through his hair.

"It will all work itself out," Carlisle soothed. "I'm sure that Alice would keep her mouth shut in order to keep the peace for your wedding."

Esme sighed. "I just can't help thinking of what that poor girl has been through today!"

"Such a sweet thing to have to face all that," Carlisle said. "Hard to believe that she could have existed in a military hospital."

"Or in the trauma department in a New York City hospital," Edward agreed. "She's tougher than we give her credit for."

"Of that I'm certain," Esme said. "And do you know what her concern was, after all of this?"

"What?" The Cullen men asked.

"She was concerned for Emma and Emmett. She didn't want him to lose his parents or for Emma to not have a chance to grow up knowing her grandparents."

"And Emmett," Edward said. "Highest of highs and lowest of lows. He is completely decimated by all of this."

"His own mother... I just want to grab Emily by the shoulders and shake some sense into her," Esme said. "Did he say how his talk with them went?"

"He set them in their places some," he said. "But there was no resolution."

"What a mess," Esme said with a sad sigh.

Carlisle and Edward agreed quickly. They all hoped that there would be some peace soon.


	20. Love and Uh Oh!

_**Well, as promised the drama is far from over. I posted two chapters yesterday so make sure you see both of those before reading on. **_

Emmett held onto his wife as tight as he could, breathing in the scent of her. He couldn't believe all that had transpired in the last day. By his own stupidity he had caused the people he loved more than anything to be hurt. That killed him, but truth be told another feeling was bubbling up inside him that was equally as powerful.

Betrayal.

His mother and father had chosen Rosalie over him and his family. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't get past that one simple fact. He sighed deeply and held her a little tighter.

"Em," she said lifting her head and looking at him. He looked at her with watery blue eyes and tried to smile. "Oh, Emmett," she said her own chocolate eyes filling with tears because of his pain. "Talk to me please!"

"I don't deserve you," he said, reaching up to dry the tears that slid down her cheeks. "I don't deserve you or Emma..."

"Yes you do," she said vehemently. "We would be nothing without you."

"Look at what I did today," he said. "That was all me!"

"No!" she disagreed. "You didn't say any of those things. That was them, not you."

"I should have told them about you," he said. "I should have told them about Emma. None of this would have happened if I did."

"Em, I understood why you didn't. It made sense," Bella said, trying to get through to him. "You had no way of knowing that this would happen."

As hurt as she was over the comments, the fact that Emmett was hurting was far worse. She hated seeing the pain in his eyes, and if she could do anything to change it for him she would in a heartbeat.

"I never thought she could act that way... not to anyone, and especially no to the person that I love more than life itself," he said, the tears finally falling from his eyes. She brushed them away with her fingers, trying to offer him any solace she could.

"I know," she said, struggling to find anything else to say.

"I just don't understand," he said. "She's my mom. She should have been shocked and surprised but not that... not attacking you. God, Bella, you are the best person I have ever met. You love me and understand me better than anyone else ever has and she, she..."

"Shhh," Bella said, placing her head against his. "I know. But I'm here. I'm yours and you're mine."

"Forever," he promised. "No matter what ever happens we're forever Bella."

"Forever," she reiterated, placing her hand over his heart.

He kissed her then, putting all the passion and emotion he could into it. Bella responded to him completely. Opening herself to him through the kiss. Though neither had gone to bed with the intention of making love, they did. It was so intense that both were sure that they would not have been able to stand afterwards had they needed to. As Bella collapsed next to him with her head on his shoulder again, he pulled her in tight. Her finger traced lazily over the scar on his shoulder, the red angry lines still highly visible.

"And I don't even know where we should go from here," Emmett said quietly when his breathing had calmed.

"We'll figure it out," she promised.

"I don't even know how I'm going to support you now," he said. "I have worked on cars all my life, but I'm not a certified mechanic. It's not like I can just get a job anywhere. And then all my money is tied up in the house... I just don't know how I'm going to support us."

"Emmett," she soothed. "I told you that I had money. Not only from my mother's life insurance, but also from both my jobs. I never spent much in New York and my expenses in Landstuhl were non-existent. We'll be okay. No matter what we'll be okay."

"I just... Everything I have is tied here, and here is the last place I want to be," Emmett said, his voice breaking.

"We'll figure it out," Bella soothed. "As long as we have each other we can do anything."

"You're right," he sighed, before rubbing his massive hand up and down her back.

Bella nuzzled into him contentedly and closed her eyes, ready for sleep.

"I hate feeling like this," Emmet said a few moments later. "I mean, I loved watching Esme and Carlisle with you and Emma, but..."

"It should have been your mom and dad," Bella said, finishing his thought for him when he paused.

"Isn't that crazy?" he asked her. "After everything... I still wanted it to be her..."

"Not at all," Bella soothed. "I know when Esme held Emma tonight, my heart hurt a little bit. I wished it was my mom that was holding her. I wished that she had gotten that chance."

"I wish she had too," Emmett said sadly.

"I love you, Em," Bella said, sleepily.

"I love you Belle," he said. "Sleep now. Our girl will probably be awake soon."

"I'm sure," Bella said sleepily.

Emma woke about an hour later and Bella changed and nursed her without disturbing Emmett. He was exhausted and needed the sleep. Emma was an easy baby at night; eating, burping, changing and right back to sleep. Bella was back in bed with Emmett in 45 minutes, nestling into his side and falling asleep easily.

It was still dark and quiet when she awoke the next time. Emmett wasn't in bed beside her, so she sat up to look for him. The first thing she noticed was that Emma's bassinet was also empty. She caught a slight movement in the far corner which housed an older arm chair. Emmett was in the chair, wearing his sleep pants again. Emma was nestled against his chest, her little butt sticking up in the air, wide awake and sucking her fist contentedly.

"Did you wake, Daddy?" Bella cooed to the little baby as she stepped closer to them. Bella brushed her fingers through her daughter's little blonde curls and then did the same to her husband's.

"Hmmm," Emmett said, startled awake. "Did I wake you?"

"No, it's just time" Bella said, motioning to her chest. He smiled happily at her and kissed Emma's head. "You didn't have to get up with her, you know."

"I know," Emmett said. "I wanted to. I changed her and since she was content, we just snuggled for a bit."

"Ready to go back to bed?" Bella asked him.

"Possibly," he said, blinking lazily.

"You could both join me in bed," Bella said, walking over to climb back into the bed. Emmett was happy to comply.

Bella laid out a burp cloth underneath her and opened her bra to prepare to feed the baby. Emmett placed Emma beside her and climbed in. As soon as she smelt her mother, Emma realized that she was absolutely starving and started to fuss. Bella laughed a little and moved Emma into position as Emmett looked on happily. They didn't talk as the baby ate her meal, just looked at each other and touched gently. When Emma began to drift off, Bella adjusted her bra again and Emmett placed the baby on his shoulder to burp her, before putting her back in her bassinet, then he pulled his wife to him and they snuggled as they fell back asleep.

When Emmett awoke next, the sun was high in the sky and both Bella and Emma were gone. He looked at his watch and noted that it was almost 11:00. He made his way to the bathroom and had a quick shower before dressing in some sweats and a T-shirt and making his way downstairs. As he approached the kitchen he heard an all too familiar voice, and the words were not what he would class as friendly.

"Well, there is certainly no doubt who her father is."


	21. Earlier That Day

**In celebration, I am posting a second chapter for today! Why am I celebrating you ask... I just posted a new chapter in What Happens In Vegas... AND IT WORKED! So happy! Watch for more updates to all my stories to come.**

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Emmett's pulse began to race as he imagined all the horrid scenarios that could be happening. He quickened his step and hurried into the kitchen. His eyes almost popped out of his head as he saw the sight in front of him. Bella was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs with Emma on her lap, and his mother was right next to her, tenderly brushing her hand through Emma's curls. Esme and Edward were both sitting nearby, keeping watch on the situation.

"She's so pretty," his mother cooed.

"Like her mother," Emmett said from the doorway, alerting his wife and mother to his presence.

Emily McCarty bristled slightly at the look her son was giving her. She had come to bury the hatchet and had already been accosted by Esme Cullen before she even had the chance.

"Why are you here, Emily?" Esme said, before she had even stepped out of her car.

"I came to see them," Emily said, holding her head up high.

"What for?" Esme said.

"I don't need to answer to you in order to talk to my own family," Emily said.

"Actually, yes you do," Esme said. "They are guests in my home and they have dealt with enough stress because of you."

"He's my son," Emily said, aghast that her friend would treat her so callously.

"And HE is still sleeping since he spent more than two days trying to get home, only to arrive with what he had hoped would have been a wonderful surprise. Then he got to have a front row seat to watch his wife and baby attacked in front of the whole town, by his own mother!" Esme said harshly.

"It wasn't the whole town," Emily said, trying to find some way to defend herself from Esme's very real accusations.

"It might as well have been," Esme said. "Do you think there is one person in this town that doesn't know what you think of your son's wife and child?"

Emily had had no answer for that. She knew they way this town worked as well as anyone else. The news would have been spread everywhere already and was probably blown way out of proportion, not that it wasn't bad enough as it was.

"God, Es! I know I messed up. I just don't even have the slightest clue how to fix it, not with Emmett, not with Rosalie and not with her..."

"Her name is Bella," Esme said. "And she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met."

"So now you are president of her fan club?" Emily asked.

"It isn't about fan clubs! But honestly, if it were, I would be," Esme stated."She has reacted to this gong show with more grace and poise than anyone else that I have ever met. You on the other hand have lost your mind completely!"

"I beg your pardon!" Emily said aghast.

"You attacked a woman who was clutching her newborn baby!" Esme said."How did you become that person?"

"I don't know," Emily said, after a few moments, the fight seeming to have left her for the time being. "I know I was wrong to assume that things would go back to the way they were before, but what can I do now? Rosalie has been a part of my life for so long. She lives in his house, she works at the shop, and she spends more time at our house then at her parent's home. How do we balance all that? And that is even if Bella and Emmett will agree to listen to me! Not that I would blame them if they didn't," Emily said sadly, holding onto the steering wheel like a life line.

"I won't lie," Esme said, looking at her friend sadly. "You messed things up royally. Emmett is ready to leave town and never come back. The only thing stopping him is Bella."

"Bella is stopping him?" Emily asked, looking at Esme in surprise.

"Bella is stopping him," Esme reiterated. "She certainly isn't any of the things you made her out to be."

"So what do I do?" Emily asked.

"I don't know," Esme said, honestly. "I'm not even sure Emmett will be willing to listen to anything you have to say."

"I don't know if he will either," Emily said sadly.

"Why didn't you tell him about Rosalie?" Esme asked.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I think, deep down, I knew that he wouldn't take her back easily," Emily said. "I knew he felt betrayed by her."

"Then why did you accept her back so easily?" Esme asked her. "Rosalie did betray him. She broke up with him, then dated the one man that had made it his goal in life to destroy your son. And you know she did that intentionally. She wanted him to react, to come back or to beg her to reconsider. That is how Rosalie Hale has always worked. It backfired because Emmett grew up and stopped playing her games. But Em, she made her choices... I never understood how you all let her back into your lives so easily."

"How could I not?" Emily asked. "She was like a link to my Emmett. Not the man that was off in some foreign country, but the boy that announced at 5 years old, with his mouth full of cookies, that he was going to marry her. That boy was my everything. He was never afraid to pick me up and spin me around. God, Es, I was so afraid that I was going to get that call, that someone would tell me that he wasn't going to come home and that I'd really be alone."

"So you used her?" Esme said, looking at Emily in horror.

"No!" Emily said. "I have loved her since she was a little girl. I just accepted her back, warts and all, because of my fears. I guess over the years I just brushed aside the betrayal and convinced myself, and maybe even Rosalie, that it was going to be alright."

"And because of that, you might truly lose him, Emily," Esme said.

"I can't lose him, Esme," Emily cried. "He's my son."

"But he's also Bella's husband, and Emma's father, and he isn't going to put that aside for you or anyone else. He loves her, Emily," Esme warned. "With everything he is. And that baby. She means everything to him, to both of them."

"I can't believe he's a daddy," Emily said.

"He is, Emily," Esme said. "And he is so good with her. Growing up, he was larger than life. He always stood out in a crowd, because he never really fit in. And face it, he was a bull in a china shop. It was like he broke everything he touched. But not her, not them. He fits there, Emily. Watching him cradle and take care of his wife and daughter is beautiful."

"I should have been there," Emily said. "I should have known all of that."

"But you didn't," Esme said. "And you can't change the past!"

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" Emily asked.

"I don't know," Esme said. "He had his reasons and they were valid to him. But you can't go judging him, or worse his wife and daughter, for his lack of communication skills when he obviously inherited that trait from you and Embry."

"I can't believe that I'm a grandma," Emily said sadly.

"She's so beautiful, Em," Esme said to her friend. "And they are both incredible parents. Bella is a complete natural, she lives and breathes for Emma and Emmett. And Emmett, he is so new at all the baby stuff and is just learning what to do, but he dotes on them both. It is a beautiful thing to see."

"I have to make this right," Emily said sadly.

"You'd better," Esme said. "And I warn you, if you blow it again like you did yesterday; Emmett will pack them up and leave, and he won't come back."

"I know," Emily said sadly.

"Good," Esme said. The women sat in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing what else to say.

"I guess I should come back later..." Emily said. "I don't want to wake him up."

"He needs to sleep. But maybe... no promises or anything," Esme said. "But I could ask Bella if she will see you. Believe it or not, you might have better luck with her than with Emmett."

"You would do that?" Emily asked.

"I would," Esme said, opening her friend's car door. "Only because I know that she wants to give you another chance. And if she is unwilling to meet with you without Emmett you have to accept that."

"Thank you, Esme," Emily said, stepping out of the car and walking towards the door. "Make sure she knows that I'm okay with whatever she decides... I don't want her to feel pressured."

"I will," Esme said.


	22. Emily talks to Bella

Esme left Emily on the front porch and went into the house. She found Bella sitting in the kitchen with a glass of orange juice, and some fresh fruit. Emma was awake cuddled into her mother's arm, but she was showing her beautiful blue eyes to Edward and Carlisle, who were fawning over her.

"Bella," Esme said, getting the young woman's attention.

"Sorry," she said, smiling sheepishly. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Don't worry about it," Esme said nervously, sitting down next to her. She smiled lovingly at the girl before getting down to the crux of things.

"Emily is outside."

Carlisle and Edward both tensed up at the mention of Emily's name. They both studied Esme's expressions, trying to read what she was up to. Whatever Carlisle saw relaxed him somewhat. He knew that if his wife was speaking of it to Bella, that something must have changed, and he trusted his wife's judgement implicitly. Edward, however, did not share the same conviction. He was still convinced that he should help Emmett load his family into the car and get the hell out of town.

"Okay," Bella said, looking a little wary.

"She would like a chance to talk to you," Esme said carefully. "If you aren't comfortable, she said she'd come back later, once Emmett was up."

Bella's heart was beating a mile a minute, and the food that she had already eaten was threatening to make a reappearance, but she swallowed thickly and turned to Esme.

"I think I'll talk to her... I'm just not sure that Emma should be there... Will you watch her while I talk to her?" she asked tentatively.

"Actually, I'm sure Carlisle and Edward would love to watch her. In fact, I don't think Edward has even had a chance to hold her yet," Esme responded. "Besides, I'm not about to let you face her alone. Not only would Emmett have a fit if I did, but it would make me feel a whole lot better to be there for you as well," she said.

"I think I'd appreciate that. Are you sure the guys won't mind?" Bella said, thankful that she wouldn't be facing her mother-in-law alone.

Carlisle and Edward both piped up their willingness to snuggle the little girl. Bella tentatively lifted Emma from her arm and kissed her cheek before placing her in Edward's reaching arms. He quickly made a goofy face, reserved only for puppies and babies, and introduced himself as Uncle Eddie.

Esme smiled reassuringly at Bella, as they made their way to the front door. Bella's steps were slow and measured, but she didn't stop.

"Ready?" Esme asked her quietly as they reached the door. Bella nodded in response.

When the door opened, Emily looked up with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. When she saw Esme, her hopes faded slightly, until she saw the tiny brunette walking through the door behind her

"Hi," Emily said to her, her mouth suddenly dry as a bone.

"Hello," Bella said.

They were both silent for a moment and Esme was just about to pipe in to say that this was a bad idea and that Emily should try again when Emmett was up, when Bella stepped up and broke the silence.

"I guess I should introduce myself... I'm Bella," she said, offering her hand to her mother-in-law.

"It is really nice to meet you, Bella. I'm Emily," Emily said taking Bella's hand in her own. "I am so happy that you agreed to come and speak with me today. I... I have so much that I have to say, so much that... Well, first things first. I am so sorry for my behavior yesterday. I really have no excuse... I am just so incredibly sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Bella said. "It wasn't fair for us to put you on the spot like that."

"Oh, Darling Girl," Emily said, truly seeing the girl in front of her for the first time. "You have nothing at all to be sorry about. I was shocked... I don't know how much you know about this all, it isn't all mine to talk about."

"I know about Rosalie," Bella said, surprising Emily. "Emmett has told me a lot about her. I know about how they met, and that she and Emmett were together for a long time and that everyone assumed that they'd be together forever."

"So you do know..." Emily said.

"I also know that she was angry and hurt when Emmett signed up for his second tour, and that she told him she wouldn't wait for him," Bella continued, anxious to show her mother-in-law exactly what she knew. "She got engaged to the only person in the world that Emmett truly hates, and that was the last he knew. He assumed that she was living her happily ever after and that he could find his."

"He did tell you," Emily sighed. "I wondered..."

"We don't have secrets from each other," Bella said.

"I knew that Rosalie had done it out of anger. That is just her way... When she finally broke up with him, I had hoped that Emmett would forgive her and they could get on with the business of being a couple. I never even considered the fact that he could have moved on. He was at war, not much time to meet a girl."

"But she never told him. You never told him," Bella said.

"At first, I didn't know what to say," Emily said. "I knew he was angry and hurt. I had hoped that absence would make the heart grow fonder and that he would be happy to see her when he came home."

Bella was silent, trying to understand Rosalie's actions. She couldn't wrap her head around wanting to hurt the person that you love, especially Emmett. It simply made no sense to her in any way, shape, or form.

"So you met Emmett in Germany?" Emily asked in a clipped manner. The question was kind of cold and Esme glared at Emily, not liking the tone she was taking with Bella. Bella did her best to stay unaffected by her tone and answered with all the grace she could muster.

"I did," she said, smiling at the memory. "We fell in love so quickly. I never expected anything like that. I mean, I was so focused, I never really took time for dating or even paying attention to any of the yahoos on the base. Emmett was different."

"How did you meet?" Emily asked, her tone softer as she watched her daughter-in-law speak so fondly of the time.

"Well there are two different answers to that question," Bella said, with a small chuckle. "I met him eight days before he met me. I was the triage nurse that first treated him when he arrived in Landstuhl. He was in pretty bad shape so I stayed with him from the moment the plane landed until he went into surgery, even though he was completely unconscious. The first time we spoke was eight days later at a small bar on the base, where he and his two friends had gone to celebrate their freedom from the hospital. His friend Mike, umm Newton is what Emmett always calls him, and my friend Jessica were flirting across the bar. When she went over to meet him, she pulled me and our two other friends along. I recognized him as I got close and I really surprised him when I addressed him by name and rank."

The young woman was captivating to watch speak. Her dark chocolate eyes were so expressive when she spoke that Emily found herself completely enthralled. The news of Emmett's injuries concerned her.

"Were his injuries that bad? I mean, we were led to believe they were just minor injuries," Emily asked.

"By army standards they were minor," Bella said. "By civilian standards, they would have been classed as serious or critical."

Emily simply shuddered. She had been under the impression that Emmett had a little shoulder injury, a few stitches and he was good to go. Not surgery!

"What happened next?" Emily asked.

"He was a complete gentleman and he walked me home that night. We saw each other every day after that. Even my father, a hardened cop, military man to the core, adored Emmett. They get along so well. I'm sure a lot of it was based on the way he treated me, but mostly, it was just Emmett, Bella said, smiling at the thought of her father. Before laughing at another memory. "He actually wouldn't call my dad by his given name, Charlie, referring to him only as Chief. Finally, after we got married, my dad actually threatened Em with bodily harm if he didn't start calling him Charlie, " Bella said.

"I guess he did learn the manners we tried to teach him after all," Emily said with tears in her eyes. "I wondered for a lot of years."

"He has always been a complete gentleman," Bella said. "You should be proud."

"Believe me, I am," Emily said. The ladies fell into silence for a few moments since Bella was still uncomfortable, and Emily was trying to digest all that she was learning.

"So you're a nurse?" she asked after a few moments.

"I am," Bella said.

"How did you end up in Germany?" she asked.

Bella went on to fill in the blanks for her mother-in-law about her schooling, jobs and her reason for being in Landstuhl. Emily truly listened to the young woman, impressed with her poise and grace. She could see why her son was head over heels in love with her. Her shame at the way she had treated her increased a hundred fold every minute.

"Emmett said you worked through your whole pregnancy," Emily said. "That had to have been difficult."

"Not really. I had a very easy pregnancy," Bella said, touching her stomach subconsciously. "My last shift was seven days before her due date, which also coincided with the first day of Emmett's leave."

"So he was there?" she asked.

"He was," Bella confirmed. "She arrived right on her due date and was the apple of her father's eye instantly."

"How big was she?" Emily asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"9 pounds, 6 ounces," Bella said. Proudly sharing the information on her daughter with her grandmother.

"But you're so tiny!" Emily exclaimed.

"I guess she takes after her daddy," Bella said.

"Well, he was early, and still he weighed almost nine pounds," Emily said. "But I'm a lot bigger than you."

"We did fine, though I thought Emmett was going to faint when he was asked to cut the cord," Bella said.

"Can I meet her?" Emily asked quietly.

"I'm sure you can," Bella responded, without hesitation. "She's in the house with Uncle Eddie."

"Uncle Eddie?" Emily asked, shocked that Bella was using Edward's most hated nickname so freely.

"His words," Esme confirmed, laughing at her son.

"She must be special if Edward is willing to forgo his embargo on the name Eddie," Emily said.

The three ladies made their way into the house. When they got to the kitchen, Carlisle pointed towards the den to let Bella know where she could find Edward and Emma. Bella made her way into the den to scoop up the baby from Uncle Eddie. Emma had managed to doze off in his arms and barely noticed when her mother scooped her up and snuggled her close.

"You okay?" Edward asked. "She was being nice right?"

"I'm fine," Bella said, a genuine smile on her face. "She wants a chance to meet Emma."

"Not without me," Edward growled.

Bella just smiled and shook her head, happy that Edward was so concerned about them. She walked back towards the kitchen with Edward close behind her. Esme and Emily were talking quietly but stopped as soon as Bella entered with Emma.

"Sit and eat, Bella," Esme insisted.

"Thank you," Bella said, resuming her place at the table. Carlisle was sitting at the far end of the table, reading the newspaper. He had greeted Emily, but his demeanor was not the usual friendly banter Emily had been used to. When Bella and Emma entered, he could barely keep up the premise of reading the paper, he was so tuned in to the events unfolding in his kitchen.

Bella sat and took a sip of her orange juice to appease Esme. The tension was thick in the room so food was not high on her agenda at the moment. Emily moved towards her granddaughter as though she was being drawn by a magnet. Her eyes filled with tears as she caught sight of her granddaughter's little blonde curls.

"She's so precious," she said, emotion filling her voice.

Bella stayed silent and slightly vigilant as Emily moved as close as humanly possible to them. Emily oohed and awed over the tiny girl, drinking in everything she could. She touched her tiny hand, feeling her baby soft skin. Even in her sleep, Emma grabbed on to her grandmother's finger, bringing tears to the woman's eyes.

There was no way she could love her granddaughter any more than she did now. She was owned as completely as Emmett, Bella and the Cullens.

"Such a precious girl," Emily cooed.

Then Emma opened her eyes, blinking quickly as she adjusted to the light in the room. Her grandmother's heart shattered and rebuilt all in an instant as she started into the same eyes that she had seen all her life. This time they weren't her son's eyes, they were his daughter's.

"Well, there is certainly no doubt who her father is," Emily said, looking into the baby's sparkling blue eyes.

Bella took that comment at face value, though the Cullens bristled at the remark. She was still on her guard where Emily McCarty was concerned but the fact that the woman had apologized and was sitting next to her, cooing over little Emma was softening her up pretty well.

"She's so pretty," Emily cooed down to the baby.

"Like her mother," Emmett said from the doorway, glaring at his mother.

Bella smiled softly at Emmett, letting him know, without using words, that things were okay.

"Yes," Emily said, looking at the young woman next to her, then at her son. "Exactly, like her mother."


	23. Is Emmett Ready to Forgive?

Emmett moved across the room, and took the seat on the other side of his wife, kissing her softly. He didn't say anything to his mother, not trusting himself to be civil. Emily also remained quiet. She didn't want to upset her son anymore than she already had. Emmett pulled Bella in closer to him and took little Emma from her arms, kissing his daughter's pudgy cheek before setting her in one arm while wrapping the other around Bella.

I don't think anyone missed the symbolism of the gesture.

"When did you arrive?" he finally asked his mother.

"I've been here for a while," Emily stated. "I spoke to Esme, who wouldn't even let me in the house, until she was certain of my intentions. And then your Bella was gracious enough to speak with me and let me apologize while Edward held your daughter. I actually just had the pleasure of meeting Miss Emma moments ago."

There were two words in that sentence that alerted Emmett to the fact that things were looking up. The first was the fact that his mother had called Bella his. That fact alone was enough for Emmett... then she said apologized and he felt like he was able to breath again.

"Are you hungry?" Bella asked him, knowing full well that he was.

"Always," he said kissing her nose.

"Why don't you and Emma visit with your mom while I fix you something to eat," she said. They both knew that he was more than capable of making his own breakfast, this was just her way of letting them have a few minutes to talk. Emmett didn't respond with words, he just smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

Bella moved further into the Cullens' large kitchen quietly as Emily shifted closer to Emmett so she could still coo over the baby. Emmett was trying to let his guard down, but the woman he had seen yesterday, and the one that was currently in this kitchen, were two very different people and he wasn't about to let her hurt Bella or Emma again.

Esme stepped over to Bella giving the girl a hug, simply because she was so proud of the way she had handled herself. She then showed Bella where everything was, allowing the girl a chance to cook for Emmett.

"Edward, have you eaten?" Bella asked as she soaked some thick cut french bread into an eggy bath.

"Much like Emmett," Edward answered, "I never say no to food."

So Bella added a few more pieces of bread to the bath, making sure they were coated.

"Emily?" she asked.

"No thank you, Bella," she said. "I have to get back to the shop soon to make sure Embry eats too."

"Esme?" she asked.

"Actually, Carlisle and I are going to lunch in Port Angeles soon," she said. "I'm going to go up and get ready."

Bella placed the bread in the frying pan and grabbed the ham that Esme assured her was okay to use and started to warm it in another pan. Once they were both done, she plated two plates of food and carried them over to Edward and Emmett. Emmett looked down at his daughter, not having mastered the art of one handed eating and prepared to hand her to Bella.

"Emily," Bella said sweetly, not taking the baby that her husband offered her. "Would you like to hold her so I can clean the kitchen while the men eat?"

The tears came to Emily's eyes, faster than she could stop them. "I would be honored," she said. Emmett looked from his wife to his mother, and gently passed the little girl to her grandmother for the first time. Emily's hand trembled slightly as she took the little girl in her arms. "Thank you," she said to Bella.

Bella had tears in her own eyes as she quickly busied herself in the kitchen, first turning out one more batch of french toast, knowing Emmett would need it, and then cleaning up the mess.

The only voice that could be heard in the kitchen was that of the proud grandma, falling completely in love with her little granddaughter. Edward and Emmett were too busy filling themselves with the delicious breakfast that Bella had prepared, and Bella kept herself busy cleaning the kitchen. When Emmett was done his meal, both first and second helpings, he moved into the kitchen to see his wife. He put his plate on the counter and pulled her into his arms, bending down so that his mouth was level with her ear.

"Thank you," he whispered to her. "I love you so much."

Bella didn't respond, she only turned her head up and over to capture his lips with hers, as the couple shared a tender kiss. Since she had almost finished the kitchen, Edward told them to go and relax while he finished the last bit, siting the Cullen rule that if you cook, you don't clean, to get Bella to leave the kitchen.

Emily was happy to carry her granddaughter to the living room to continue her visit there.

"Before I go," she said to them. "I need to talk to you both because I simply don't know what to do."

Emmett pulled Bella in close, knowing by his mother's tone of voice that the next words weren't going to be happy. She placed the little girl reluctantly in her mother's arms before starting to pace around the room.

"I am at a loss at what to do," she began. "I made a lot of assumptions... to do with Rosalie, and because of those assumptions there are some things that have been done."

"What things?" Emmett asked, tensing up at Bella's side.

"First, Rosalie is living in your house. She wasn't being presumptuous... I sort of insisted, it was just... well you had three bedrooms there and she was living in the tiny one room place above the diner..." she explained.

"Go on," Emmett said.

"She had been working at the Yorkies' lumber yard," her mother said. "Both Mr. Yorkie and his son Eric are rather lecherous, and well... the assumptions... she is working at the shop."

"Is that everything?" Emmett asked, knowing those first two facts already.

"No," she said. "You know that Rosalie's family is... difficult, and you have been gone so very long, so she spends most of her time, all holidays and stuff, with us."

"What do you want me to say to this, Ma?" Emmett asked, completely frustrated by his mother's actions. "I wanted that house for me and my family... now I can't even bring my wife and daughter there because my ex-girlfriend, who I might add moved on with the one guy in the whole state of Washington that I detested, is living there. The job, that I had planned to use to support my wife and daughter is now that same ex-girlfriend's AND the family that I hoped to share with my wife and daughter is also sharing it with that same ex-girlfriend... This is completely messed up!"

"I didn't know..." Emily said.

"Fine, I get that," Emmett said. "But here's the thing... no matter what I'm the bad guy. No matter what, the people in this town are going to be blaming Bella, especially considering your little sideshow yesterday. You have successfully made this town into somewhere I can't live."

"Emmett," his mother sobbed.

"I spent six years knowing that I would come home and settle down here. I spent six years, knowing that the garage was my future... For the last, almost year, since Bella and I married, we have planned to settle here and raise our family, and you have destroyed any chance of that," he said.

"No," she said. "There has to be a way to make this work."

"There isn't," Emmett said. "Without the garage, I can't support my family in this town. Hell, all the money I made in the last six years is tied into a house that we can't even live in, because you let Rose live there. Don't even get me started on the town..."

"What can I do?" Emily cried.

"I don't know," Emmett said. "But you need to leave now. I can't deal with this right now."

"I love you Emmett," Emily said as she gathered her purse while tears streamed down her face. "I'm so sorry. Thank you, Bella, for being so gracious. Again, I'm so sorry."

Emily did as her son requested and got in her car and left.

_**So... Bella seems to have made progress with her mother-in-law, but all is not sunshine and roses as far as Emmett is concerned. A lot of you have commented that Bella has forgiven Emily too easily, but that isn't the case. Bella is doing this for Emmett, and for Emma. If it was completely up to her, she would have been on the next flight back to Germany. She simply could not ask that of Emmett, knowing that he may not regret it today, but he certainly could later. **_

_**The next chapter is about Rose, starting with a visit with Alice, when she first told Emmett, at the end of his first tour of duty, that she wouldn't wait for him and ending with a visit with Alice after all the drama at Emmett's welcome home party. **_

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	24. Rosalie Explained

_**SORRY FOR THE DELAY! Stomach flu kicked my butt for the last 36 hours**. So this chapter is Rosalie explained. Is it going to make you like her, feel sorry for her? Doubtful! She is who she is. But other things are explained. Tell me what you think._

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_**Starts 4 years in the past. Emmett is just finishing his first tour of duty...**  
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"Oh Alice," Rosalie cried. "How could he do this to me?"

"I don't know Rose," Alice said. "He must have hit his head or something."

"He won't even be here for your wedding," Rosalie ranted. "He is leaving me without a date to your wedding."

"That's just rude!" Alice said. "I mean, he was supposed to be one of Jasper's groomsmen. Now he'll have to ask his cousin Burt... and he has a unibrow Rose. A UNIBROW!"

"I can't be alone for another two years," Rose said. "I had it all planned. He was supposed to be back next month, we'd be inseparable for a few weeks and then he'd propose. We wouldn't have a long engagement, then we'd buy a little house and in a year we'd have a baby. Emily would help me with the baby while Emmett and Embry worked at the garage. How am I supposed to have a baby while he's playing stupid war games in some desert?"

"We have to do something," Alice said, still thinking of the unibrow.

"What can we do?" Rosalie asked. "He has to sign up at the beginning of next month, then he'll be home for a month before heading out again."

"Threaten him," Alice said, planning to make Emmett want to stay in Forks.

"Like withholding sex?" Rosalie asked.

"That would probably work," Alice said. "He'd probably do anything for that."

"That may not even be enough," Rosalie said. "It's not like we get a lot when he's away. It has to be worse!"

"What's worse than that for Emmett?" Alice asked, picking up her nail file to fix her nails.

"I'll threaten to break up with him," Rosalie said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"You think that will fly?" Alice asked. "He knows that you guys are forever."

"I'll just have to make him believe," Rosalie said.

"And if he doesn't?" Alice asked.

"I'll have to follow through," Rosalie said with a shrug. It had worked well all 32 times she had pulled it in high school, and she didn't see why it wouldn't work now. NO break up had ever lasted longer than a day.

"If you think it will work..." Alice said.

"I'm sure of it," Rosalie said, and she was sure. She knew that Emmett would cave.

It was true that Emmett had fallen for his girlfriend's dramatics in high school, over and over again. But they had all been small potatoes. A movie she wanted to go to. A party. All manner of non-consequential things. He had never been as passionate about his reasons before. And he was passionate about this. Newton and Dwyer were not going back there without him.

When Rosalie set her ultimatum, she refused to listen to a word Emmett said. If she had, she would have realized that this was something he would not bend on, not even for her.

"Hi Emmie," Rose said, happily on their next phone call. "When are you coming home?"

"Rosalie," Emmett growled.

"I want to have a big party to celebrate, and then we'll take a little vacation before you start working at the shop," she said, completely ignoring him.

"Rose," he said, trying to get her attention again.

"We can invite your buddies to come before they head back over," she said, happily planning her future with him.

"Rosalie!" Emmett yelled

"Yes, Emmie?" she said happily.

"I'm not coming home permanently," he said. "I am signing my papers for my second tour."

"You're what?" Rosalie demanded. "You can't! I told everyone you were coming home."

"Well you lied," he said. "I can't let them go back without me."

"Yes you can," she said. :You need to grow up and come home."

"Rosalie I am grown up," Emmett growled. "I love you, but you can't make my decisions for me. This is something that I need to do."

"I wasn't joking Emmett," Rosalie threatened again."I won't wait for you."

"That's your decision Rose," he said, sighing heavily. "I love you, but I need to do this."

"Then I guess this is goodbye," Rosalie said, planning her next move.

"I guess it is," Emmett said sadly.

"I'm not kidding," she threatened.

"Neither am I," Emmett said.

"Once I hang up, we're done," she threatened, expecting him to cave.

"I know Rose," Emmett said, hoping she would change her mind.

"This is your last warning," she said, certain that this would be it. He'd give in for sure now.

"Goodbye Rose," Emmett said, ending the call.

"Emmett... Emmett!" Rose said into the dead receiver, unable to believe that he had ended the call. Rosalie was stunned for a while, but that didn't mean that she was done scheming. She just had to up her game. The first step was to change her cell phone number. She wasn't going to make it easy for Emmett to come crawling back. Next she played the victim for Emmett's family.

"He just didn't understand that I needed him," Rosalie cried on Emily's shoulder.

"There, there," Emily comforted, unable to believe that the couple could really be done for good. She was certain that with time they would make their way back together.

The next part of her scheme involved Alice. Alice had always been Rosalie's sidekick. Her sunshiney upbeat personality usually balanced Rosalie's more prickly personality. And more than anything, she always followed Rosalie's lead.

"So I need you to take me to Port Angeles to try to make me feel better about our break up," Rosalie told Alice, putting break up in air quotes. "We need to go to the new club on First Street."

"The one that Royce King runs?" Alice asked, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"That's the one," Rose said, talking like it was a common thing to do.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Alice said.

"You're right Alice, it's not good," Rose said, "It's great!"

Alice tried to dissuade Rosalie from her extreme plan. But Rosalie was adamant. So, being the good friend that she was did as she was asked. Rose played Royce like a fiddle all night, flirting but keeping her distance. He fell for it. Not only was Rosalie Hale the hottest girl he'd ever met, the fact that she was once Emmett's girlfriend sealed the deal. He asked her out for dinner, the next night. After a little time to 'ponder' it, Rose agreed, employing Alice to let Emily know.

Emily was devastated. She knew that Royce was bad news. She called Rose and begged her to reconsider.

"Of all people to date, Rosalie," Emily said. "Does it have to be Royce King?"

"He isn't really a bad guy," Rosalie said. "Besides, who else would date me? Everybody knows Emmett and wouldn't go out with me just because of that. I'm so tired of being alone."

"This isn't something you can take back, Rose," Emily warned.

"Emmett made his choices and I am making mine," Rosalie said. She wondered momentarily if the woman was right, but decided she knew Emmett well enough to know he would never stand for her dating Royce. He'd be back before she could go on a third date.

Unfortunately for Rosalie, a few things didn't work in her favor. By canceling her old number, she had no way of knowing if Emmett had even tried to contact her. He hadn't. The next issue was that Emily didn't bring the news right to Emmett as Rosalie had expected. She had steadfastly refused to tell her son anything about Rose, not that he asked. So she was stuck with Royce.

Dating Royce wasn't all bad. He had money. A lot of money. Money that he liked to spend spoiling Rosalie in ways he knew that Emmett never could have. Expensive dinners and trips, jewelry, a car, and finally a huge diamond engagement ring. Still Rose kept hoping that Emmett would find a way to contact her. She even managed to hold off on setting a date for their wedding, still hoping Emmett would cave.

Royce finally set his own ultimatum. Set a date or say goodbye. She couldn't do it. Though she had been living with him for almost a year, Rosalie packed her bags and moved home to a tiny apartment over the diner, leaving everything that Royce had given her behind. She was slightly humbled, but considering that she had given up Royce for Emmett, she felt that she would be forgiven eventually.

Emily and Embry were a little prickly at first. Rosalie had to use all the tools at her disposal to get close to them again. First was taking a job with the lecherous Yorkies, then playing the victim. Poor Rosalie being FORCED to take that job. Poor Rosalie so lonely after her boyfriend practically abandoned her to go to war. Poor Rosalie...

That was a sentiment that Rosalie knew how to work with. Pity. She had years of experience being the victim. In Forks, her parents were known as, Drunk Bill and Crazy Lily. And it wasn't without merit.

Her father, Bill, was a raging alcoholic. He'd go out to work and end up drunk, usually in the most peculiar places and missing his pants. He was a laughing stock. Then there was Lily. Lily was her own character. She was prim and proper for the most part, but she and Bill would have the most extreme fights, not seeming to care if they were in public or not. Yes Rosalie Hale was certainly pitied.

When Rosalie was 7, Lily decided that she had had enough. She left her husband and daughter to join a lesbian commune. People were aghast! But not Bill. He hardly seemed to notice her absence, but Rosalie did. Six months later, Lily was back, as Bill knew she'd be. They went right back to the same ridiculous behavior.

So it was only right that Rosalie was looked upon with pity. She deserved it. But she also knew how to work it. And that's exactly what she did.

"Oh hi, Mrs McCarty," Rosalie said, as she 'accidentally' ran into Emily at the diner while she was waiting for Esme to join her for a lunch date. The accident had all been orchestrated by Alice, of course. She had informed Rosalie of the time and then delayed her mother so that Rosalie would have a chance to talk to Emily uninterrupted..

"Hello Rosalie," Emily said to the girl she had once believed would be her daughter-in-law.

"How are you?" Rosalie asked sweetly.

The ladies made small talk for a while, with Rosalie bringing up good memories she had with Emmett at every opportunity. Emily was missing her son, having not seen him in more than 3 years, thanks to his refusal to come home after the break up.

Rosalie could sense when the right time to strike was, bringing up her horrible job with the Yorkie's. Coincidentally, Emily and Embry had just decided that they needed to bring in a shop assistant until Emmett came home, and playing right into Rosalie's hand, Emily offered her the job.

Rosalie had spent a great deal of time at the garage as a teenager and fit into the garage seamlessly. She went above and beyond to make sure to stay in the McCarty's good graces, and it wasn't long before Rosalie had wormed her way back into their lives so completely, that her past with Royce seemed of little consequence.

Emmett staying for a third tour came as little surprise to anyone and Emily and Rosalie got closer and closer. Rosalie spoke of Emmett as though he would be home any moment and it was a sentiment that Emily needed, as she began to believe that the only way her son would return was in a body bag. His injury only secured that belief in her.

Her happy day was when Emmett spoke of coming home, purchasing a house and working at the garage with his parents.

Embry McCarty was a quiet man. He lived by the adage that a happy wife makes a happy life and so he indulged her whenever he could. The garage did well, earning him a comfortable living for the most part, but there were no diamonds or fancy trips. To make matters worse for Emily, Embry was a realist. He couldn't allow himself to talk about Emmett's homecoming when it was not set in stone, so it was left to Emily, and Rose.

That suited Rose very well. Rose was a perfect house shopping partner. She knew Emmett just as well as his mother so they could speak for hours about what he would want, need, like, and dislike. In fact, it was Rosalie who first heard the Copes would be moving to Arizona and set the plans in motion for all of that.

Once they got the house, Rosalie helped Emily decorate every inch of it too. Helping to pick pictures and nick-knacks for each room. She had even put the idea of her living there in Emily's head, though Emily would assure anyone who asked that it was all her. Rose was just that good.

She decided to set herself up in the guest room, not to look too presumptuous, so that if Emmett came home and was less than impressed, she was close enough to change his mind, yet far enough away to give him his space.

It was late at night when she first got the call.

"Rosalie," Emily gushed. "You aren't going to believe it!"

"What?" Rosalie asked, expecting that it would be news of Emmett's homecoming, which was expected within the next four months.

"He's coming home!" Emily squealed.

"I can't believe it," Rosalie said, calculating how much time she had to completely prepare for it. "When?"

"Tomorrow," Emily said. "Apparently he's already in Seattle and has asked Edward for a ride home tomorrow!"

Rosalie almost fainted. "Tomorrow?" she asked, plugging every ounce of excitement that she could into her response. "I can't even believe it."

"We have to have a party for him," Emily said, excitedly. "With banners and flags."

"That's great," Rosalie said with fake enthusiasm, not really wanting the whole town to witness his homecoming. She knew that everyone thought that they were still an item, that they spoke often. She knew because that was what she told people.

The whole night was spent in preparation. Emily called everyone, not caring what time it was and Rosalie, along with Alice, made the banner. Finally, at 4:00am, Alice and Rosalie headed home, to Emmett's house, to catch a few hours of sleep.

"Are you excited?" Alice asked her.

"And nervous," Rosalie said.

"He'll be so excited that you are there that he'll probably forget all about Royce," Alice said, trying to give Rose hope.

"You think so?" Rosalie asked.

"Of course," Alice said authoritatively. "He's probably only seen Mrs Palmer and her five daughters since you guys split. Make sure all your best assets are on show and even if it's just for sex he'll be putty in your hands."

"But we will get back together," Rosalie said, needing Alice to boost her confidence.

"Of course," She said. "He's Emmett!"

"Right," Rosalie said. The two girls climbed in to the guest bed together and fell asleep quickly. The next day dawned with renewed excitement and confidence for Rosalie. Emmett would be putty in her hands.

When the truck turned into the driveway, Rosalie was the first one out the door, sprinting over to welcome her soldier home. She knew she'd catch him by surprise, but hoped he wouldn't make a scene.

She liked the fact that he was stunned into silence. She could work with that. When he pulled the brunette and the baby from the car, she was more concerned. She saw the baby for a second. She was no fool. She knew it was his child. What he didn't know was how the brunette figured into things.

They couldn't be in love. She'd have heard about that. And if the baby was just his mistake, she could live with that. She's play step-mommy until they had their own child, when she was certain Emmett would lose all interest in his German mistake and the focus would be solely on her and their children. She heard everything that people were saying and prepared to act accordingly. She would stand by him and tell him she would help him raise the baby. People would eat that up.

And pity. She'd have a great edge since she was accepting his bastard child. She entered the house with the others, awaiting Emmett's introductions. It only took five words and she was done. "Everyone, this is my wife...

Rosalie ran from the room in tears. She knew what it meant. Emmett didn't belong to her anymore. She had lost. He was the brunette's, completely. Even with a child, Emmett would never have married her if he hadn't loved her. Of that fact she was certain. The Emmett she had loved for most of her life now belonged to someone else.


	25. There's No Place Like Home

_**Sorry for the delay. The flu hit us hard and decided to stick around our house a while, making sure that each of us got a nice long visit. Thankfully everyone was able to sleep through the night last night and so I got 4 uninterrupted hours of sleep, the most since Sunday! The good news is that I will be posting again later today. The bad news... that will be just before my computer goes into the shop to be repaired. ETA: Tuesday.**_

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The days that followed his mother's visit were difficult for Emmett, as he struggled to come to terms with all the facts. Bella stood beside him, lending her silent support. Emily made time to visit them every day, bringing Embry in tow. The visits just seemed to make Emmett more sullen and confused, and they usually ended with Emmett asking them to leave.

He couldn't find an ounce of forgiveness for his mother, though he tried to find some pleasure in the fact that she was completely smitten with Emma. Bella was kind to his mother, never saying a bad word to, or about her. This was both a blessing and a curse, as he felt that his parents were simply taking advantage of her forgiving nature.

Nothing changed on the Rosalie front, though she was never discussed when they visited.

Edward had returned to Seattle, promising to visit again in five days, bringing his fiancee with him. Bella was excited to meet her as they seemed to have a lot in common, at least according to Edward. Carlisle and Esme delighted in spending time with their guests, and at least with them, Emmett felt safe, comfortable and accepted.

The house was empty most days, except for Bella, Emmett and Emma, as Carlisle and Esme were both at work. They hadn't ventured out at all, except to sit on the back porch to get a little fresh air. Bella was starting to get a little stir crazy, the normally extremely active Emmett was ever more so. Finally, the day before Edward was set to return, Bella encouraged her husband to get out and go for a run. He was tense and stressed and needed the release. After kissing them both he changed into some exercise clothes and headed out. Happy to stretch his muscles.

Esme had left a car for them to use, and, shortly after Emmett left, Bella noticed that Emma was down to three diapers and so she decided that she and Emma would go into town to get some diapers and a few groceries so she could cook a nice dinner for everyone that night. She loaded Emma into her car seat then into Esme's car. She took a deep breath, knowing that she would be subject to stares, and possibly some hurtful words, and started the car, making her way down the Cullen's long driveway and into town, finding the grocery store easily. She took Emma's car seat from the car, covering it with a blanket so that her daughter was safe from the prying eyes of the residents of Forks, and put her in a shopping cart. She took another deep breath and made her way into the small store.

It was eerie. Everywhere she moved, people seemed to stare at her, at least until she smiled in their general direction, then they looked away as quickly as possible. She could hear people whispering but there were no loud comments as there had been a few days previous. All the same, Bella wondered how good an idea this all was as she attempted to get a little assistance from the butcher in choosing a cut of meat, and the man just turned ignored her completely, turning away and going into the back room, not returning to the front at all. She took a deep breath and sighed, before settling on some of the prepackaged product and decided to finish her shopping quickly. The stares seemed to get worse after that, and when she found the baby aisle the comments started again.

Tramp.

Hussy.

She doesn't belong here.

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep the tears at bay for long, she grabbed a pack of diapers for Emma and made her way to the cashier, unloading all her purchases onto the conveyor belt as the cashier talked to the customer in front of her.

"Thanks Bill," the cashier stated in her high pitched voice. "See you next week."

Before she even turned to look at Bella, another man came up behind her and whispered something in her ear, before walking away without even a glance at Bella. As soon as he left, the cashier cast a quick glance at Bella and sneered, before quickly turning away. The light switch that showed if a cashier was open or not was flicked off and the girl walked away from the till. Bella looked around to see if there was another open till. There wasn't. She could feel the panic rising up in her as she realized that this was being done on purpose.

"Hello," Bella said, trying to stay calm. "I just want to pay for my things and leave."

Not one sound could be heard. Bella stood for another minute, knowing that nobody was coming to help her. She picked up whatever courage she had left, held her head high, and grabbed her daughter from the cart and walked slowly out of the store, leaving her groceries where they lay. As she exited the store, even more people glared at her and the courage she had left was quickly disappearing. Once at the car, the tears could no longer be kept at bay and she allowed herself to cry until another car pulled up next to her, the driver staring at her, making her feel more like a freak. She started the car, but stopped it just as quickly. She knew she was in no shape to drive a car in her emotional condition, and she would never endanger Emma that way. She also knew that there was no way she could just sit in the parking lot, knowing that more people would come and gawk at her, hating her for something that she never had any control over. She looked in Emma's diaper bag and noticed that she had the baby carrier that she had used for Emma on the plane.

The Storchenwiege sling had multiple positions that you could use that would keep Emma completely covered. Bella set about setting it up in the way she knew best. Once Emma was safely in the sling, she grabbed the warm baby blanket, that had been hers when she was a baby and wrapped it around the front, that way she'd be certain that Emma would not catch a chill. She placed the car keys in her pocket and tossed everything else back in the diaper bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Then she got out into the temperate Forks day and made her way to the park across the street.

The park had seemed deserted from her position in the car, but when she arrived, she realized that wasn't the case. As had been the case to this point, everyone stared, and Bella felt her feet move faster as her arm cradled the baby, more for her own comfort, rather than any necessity. Soon she had pushed past the onlookers and moved onto a trail, moving away from the critical eyes of the citizens of Forks.

In all her years, and all the different places she had lived, Bella had never been treated so callously. To have the grocery store refuse her business had been completely humiliating and devastating and she finally understood what Emmett had said about the town.

And suddenly Bella wanted to be anywhere but here.


	26. Forks Gets a Piece of Humble Pie?

_**Because you guys have been so patient with me while I was sick, and SOOOO awesome with your reviews, here is a second chapter for today. I even have one ready to go for tomorrow too! Then the computer will be at the hospital getting a little upgrade, so nothing until Tuesday.**_

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When Emmett left the house that morning for his run, he had no clue what his wife had planned, because if he did, he would never have left. Emmett had lived in the town for his whole life and knew that it was a friendly place, for the most part. But the drama that had happened on Saturday made it worse than any war zone he'd ever seen, for the two people he loved more than anything.

Running had always been his favorite form of exercise and he was thankful for the ability to do so now. He ran along the road, heading away from the town, and castigating himself with every step. He was angry with his mother for the scene at her house, he was angry at his father, for doing nothing to aide the situation, he was angry at Rosalie for assuming that he would just step back into the role of boyfriend as if nothing had happened between them, but mostly he was angry with himself. If he had told his mother about Bella right away, a lot of this could have been avoided.

He knew that Bella hadn't agreed with his decision, that she even found it somewhat hurtful, but she let him make it. She had trusted him to know what was best. He had failed her and their daughter. He pushed himself hard, not looking at any of the cars that drove by, ignoring the looks of the people that had been his friends and neighbors all his life. He had never felt more like an outsider than he did now.

By the time he returned to the Cullen's driveway, he was exhausted. He had pushed himself to his limit and was ready to rest. He had thought long and hard as to where he wanted to go from here and the answer was simply away. As he pushed his body the final leg up the Cullen's driveway, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold.

The car was gone.

His heart leapt to his throat and he raced to the front door and pulled it open, calling her name frantically. There was no answer, only a note with his name on it in the foyer. He grabbed the piece of paper and read it quickly, thankful, initially, that his wife hadn't decided to return to Germany, then terrified when he learned she had just gone to the market. Emmett didn't even close the door as he ran out of the house full speed, his tired and achey muscles forgotten, and headed at top speed towards town.

When he got to the grocery store, he noticed the car in the parking lot and ran inside quickly. He needed to be with Bella and Emma, to know that they were unharmed. People looked at him in amazement as he flew threw the doors, a frantic look on his face.

"Emmett," a former classmate said to him as he moved into the store. "It's good to see you."

"You too, Corey," Emmett said, not even looking at the man. "Excuse me, but I'm looking for my wife and daughter."

"They aren't here," Corey said sadly.

"What do you mean they're not here?" Emmett asked him, fear ripping through him like never before. "I saw the car out front."

"I saw her in the car when I pulled up. She was crying and I didn't know what to say to her, so I left her be. Once I got in here, I heard them all talking. She was here, trying to pick up some groceries and diapers. Kevin refused to help her at the meat counter and when she got up to the cashier, Tanya... Jim made her close down and refuse to serve her," Corey said.

"What?" Emmett asked, horrified.

"By the time I realized what happened, I ran back out front to see if I could help her, but she had gone," he said. "I don't know where."

Emmett was incensed. He thanked Corey and turned to head out the door to find Bella. He took two steps before changing his mind. He went up to the customer service desk, where another classmate sat chomping on a piece of gum. He ignored the girl completely, reaching over the desk to grab the overhead speaker microphone.

"Hey, you can't do that," the nasally voice piped up.

He ignored the girl completely.

"Hear this!" he said loudly into the microphone, his voice echoing around the room. "This is Emmett McCarty. You all know me. You've known me my whole life. How could any of you believe that I was capable of what I have been accused of?" He took a few deep breaths, willing himself to explain the rest. "Rosalie Hale ended our relationship more than four years ago, when I felt compelled to stay for a second tour of duty. I just couldn't let the men that I had come to see as brothers face that hell alone. The last time I even heard her name, before I arrived home this week, was when my mother informed me that she was engaged to Royce King." Emmett took another breath before going on. "Anything that I still felt for her died that day. Now, my mother made some assumptions. She assumed that I would forgive Rosalie for discarding me like yesterday's trash the moment I didn't do what she wanted. She assumed that I would overlook the fact that Rosalie was engaged to the guy that did his best to destroy me for more than 4 years. She was wrong. Rosalie also made a lot of wrong assumptions. And I made mistakes too. I should have told my mother about them. I am not, nor will I ever be, embarrassed about my wife. I simply didn't want to explain it to my mom on the phone or by email, preferring to introduce them in person. I was so wrong to do that. But now, my wife and daughter are paying for these mistakes. None of which have been made by them."

Emmett took a deep breath before continuing.

"I met Bella in Germany while I was there recovering from my injuries. She is the sweetest, kindest, gentlest person I have ever known. I fell in love with her on the spot and made her my wife six weeks later. _Our_ daughter, contrary to all speculation, was born almost ten months later. Bella is a good person. She insisted we stay and try to make things work with my parents. She has never asked that my parents cut ties with Rosalie, nor have I. Rosalie continues to live in the house that I asked my parents to buy for Bella and me, with the money I earned and saved while in the service. Rosalie still works at the garage. Yet somehow we are the bad guys..." Emmett's voice was filled with emotion. "Bella gave up everything she knew to move here because of me. I told her what a great place this was, how warm and friendly the people were. Ha! What a joke! Hell, I was here when Mr. Yorkie and Mrs. Crowley were caught having an affair and yet neither were ever treated so poorly as to be refused service anywhere. So you tell me, what the hell did my wife do to be treated so poorly?"

Emmett dropped the microphone to the counter top with a loud thud, sending a massive screech over the sound system. He ran out of the store, without waiting for a reaction to his outburst. He scanned the area to see if he could find some idea of where Bella might have gone. trying to look around to see where Bella might have gone.

His insides twisted as he searched. He had never felt so scared or so helpless in his life, as he did in this moment, and that included the time that he was lying in a torn up Humvee on a deserted roadside in Kabul, listening to his friends screaming in pain beside him.

He looked across to the park, thinking of the park that meant so much to them in Landstuhl and prayed that she had gone there. He took off at a sprint to find them, calling out as he went. He promised himself that once he found the, they were packing into the first car they could and getting the hell out of Forks, Washington.

.

**_So what do you think of Emmett's reaction? And where are Bella and Emma? Let me know what you think!  
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	27. Oh Rosalie, What Are You Doing Now?

Meanwhile, back in the store, a lot of people were talking about Emmett's little outburst. Actually, many of them were eating humble pie. One of those people eating humble pie was the very pregnant Alice Cullen Whitlock.

Edward's twin sister had smiled in delight when she watched the people of Forks band around her best friend, Rosalie, treating the usurper like the pariah that she deserved to be. She had been almost giddy with excitement as she watched the girl struggle to get her baby out of the store. She had actually just dialed Rosalie to tell her the glorious news when Emmett burst through the door. "This should be interesting," she muttered to herself as she hung up the phone. As she watched Emmett she saw things that she really didn't understand. This was not the Emmett she had known all her life though. That Emmett was subdued, never being ruled my emotion.

This Emmett was obviously frantic.

When she heard his words, she knew just how wrong she had been. She thought back to the rumors that she had spread and the horrid way that she had treated Bella herself, and her breath caught in her throat as she realized that Bella did not deserve any of that. She thought back to the tear filled brown eyes of the young woman who sat, clutching her baby, in the middle of a room full of strangers, on that first day, as she was insulted from all around. Alice's hand went instantly to her own swollen stomach as she caressed the baby that she would already do anything for, realizing why the young woman had curled herself on the floor. It wasn't to protect herself, because if she had wanted to do that, she could have pushed past the hateful strangers, and run. She had done it to protect her own child.

Alice thought of all she had done to help Rosalie, and in effect get Emily McCarty and the whole town to this point. She felt sick. Not only had she participated in Rosalie's plans, she had begun scheming to bring them to fruition herself. What had she done?

The cell phone in her hand, the one that she had been about to use to share more hateful words was suddenly burning a whole in her hand, and she knew what she had to do. She dialed the number quickly, praying that she got an answer.

"Hello, Alice," her mother said in greeting. "How are you, Sweetheart?"

"Where are you?" Alice asked her mom, panic etched in every word.

"What's wrong, Alice? Are you okay? Is it the baby?" Esme asked, responding to her daughter's frantic tone.

"I'm fine, mama," Alice said. "It's Bella... and Emmett."

"What happened?" Esme asked, as she already stopped what she was doing and headed for her car. "Where are you?"

Alice filled her mother in on how Bella had been treated at the store, barely able to keep talking as she relayed the callous actions of the citizens of Forks, and her own inaction, even including the smug feeling she had felt. Then she told her mother of Emmett's tirade into the overhead system.

"Oh Mama," Alice cried. "I was so wrong! How could I have been so blind?"

"Where are they, Alice?" Esme asked.

"I don't know," Alice said. "The car is still outside and Emmett ran off to find her. What have I done, Mama?"

"That doesn't matter now! Now we need to focus on them. We need to help Emmett find her. There aren't many places she could go," Esme said, instructing her daughter to call anyone she could before she hung up. As soon as the line was clear, Esme dialed the McCarty garage, letting Emily McCarty know what had happened. Emily had tears streaming down her face as she dropped the phone as she ran to tell Embry.

"Embry," she half sobbed. "It's Bella. She's missing. She was at the store. People were horrible. Now she and Emma are missing and Emmett is searching for them!"

"Let's go," Embry said to her, climbing out from under the car he had been working on.

Both of them ran out of the garage in seconds, Embry not even bothering to remove his overalls or wash the grease from his hands. They didn't even take a car, preferring to run the two blocks to the last place their daughter-in-law and granddaughter had been seen. Rosalie Hale sat in her chair stunned.

When had Bella wormed her way into the family she had fought so hard to keep as her own?

She thought back to her performances over the last few days. She knew that she had lost Emmett, that was obvious the first day, but she would be damned if she was going to lose anything else. She was certain that Emily and Embry would try to maintain some semblance of a relationship with Emmett, and maybe even the baby, but she was sure all the bridges had been burned with Bella. She thought back to the day after the party fiasco, and Emily's discussion with Embry, that she just happened to overhear by placing her ear to the vent in the shop.

"We've lost him Embry," she had sobbed.

"I can't believe that," Embry had said. "He's our boy."

"But he really loves that girl, and the baby. Oh, God! Embry we are grandparents and we may never get to spend any time with her. She's so beautiful..."

"He wouldn't keep us away," Embry said, sounding gruffer than usual.

"He would," she cried. "We're the threat to them."

"We'll just show him we can be better," he said, certain that his calm rational approach would work.

"And what about Rosalie?" Emily asked. "We can't turn our backs on her either. I have made such a mess of things."

"The job was always Emmett's, and the house is his too," Embry said. "She knew that all along so hopefully she won't take it too hard."

"We can't do that to her!" Emily gasped. "We're all she has. She is practically a part of this family!"

"But she isn't a part of it," Embry said. "Our son, his wife and his daughter are our family and we need to make that known to EVERYONE."

"I guess," Emily said. "I hate to just shut her out though."

"So do I," Embry said with a sigh. "But if it comes to losing one of them, I'll be damned if I chose her over our son."

"You're right," Emily said with a sigh.

Rosalie knew then that she had to work fast. She was losing her hold on the McCarty's and she needed that to keep her position in Forks. She spent the next few days playing the martyr.

"Emily," Rose said sadly. "Can you please pass me the newspaper?"

"Here, Honey," Emily said, still trying to get the nerve up to tell her what she and Embry had decided.

"I need to look for a place to rent. The house is Emmett's and I need to move out so he and his w...wi...wi...wife can move in," she said, bursting into tears over the word wife.

"Oh Honey," Emily said, patting the girl on the shoulder.

"It's so hard," Rosalie sighed. "It was like you all were my family and now I have nobody. We all know my parents couldn't care if I live or die."

"That's not true," Emily soothed.

"I always thought you were going to be my mother-in-law," Rosalie cried, turning on her big crocodile tears. "Now I'll be lucky if I even get a Christmas card."

"You know we'd never abandon you," Emily soothed. "You are a very important person to me and I can't lose you because of this. We'll find a way to make it work."

"Maybe I shouldn't even bother looking for a place in Forks," Rosalie sighed sadly. "I doubt I'll be able to find a job here, unless I go back to work for the... Yorkie's again."

"Shhh!" Esme soothed. "It will get better."

"How can it?" Rosalie cried. "The man I love more than anything doesn't love me... and the family I love like my own isn't mine anymore. I won't have a job or a place to live... I am losing everything."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Emily soothed.

She had gone to talk to Embry after that, but the discussion had not gone well. Embry was adamant that they stand by their son and that Rosalie would just have to move on. Emily, the eternal optimist, still wanted to find a way to have a relationship with Rosalie while keeping her son and his family happy.

Rosalie had pretty much steered clear of Embry since the first overheard conversation. However, she had clung to Emily desperately at every chance she got. Rosalie Hale was not going to be the loser in all of this. She had worked to hard to get where she was.

Alice had been her constant confidant through this, hating the usurper as much as she did. She needed Emmett and Bella to leave soon, before something happened and people turned against her.

She locked the doors and hurried out of the shop, hoping to 'help' find Bella before anyone else did. She just knew that a few minutes alone with her would send the girl on the first flight back to Germany. Then, Rose may not have Emmett, but her position with his family and the town would be just fine.


	28. A Little Self Revelation and a Test

**Sorry for the massive delay! It's short but I will post a second in a few hours. Between sick hubby, kids and me, it's been a very eventful two weeks! The rest of the chapters will be up each morning until we're done by next weekend. Then the focus will be editing the next chapters to each of my stories that have already been written. In _Searching_ **- a 6 part epilogue.** _A Mother's Choice_** - 1 long epilogue.** _Ghosts of My Past_ -** Masen is Missing!**. _What Happens In Vegas_ - **Honeymoon - Em POV (Also is Bella knocked up?)**.** I even have an outtake for **_The Perfect Doctor's Wife_.**

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The trail that Bella had chosen was well marked, and more important to the distraught young mother, completely deserted. There were no evil glares or hateful words. The farther down the path she got, the more she felt herself start to relax, and the tears that had endlessly flowed since she left the hateful grocery store had finally stopped.

"Oh, Emma," she said, rubbing her daughter's back through the sling. "How can such a hateful place exist?"

Emma didn't answer, obviously, but by simply talking to her daughter, she felt immensely better. Her mind switched instantly to Emmett. He was going to be devastated when he heard the new development, and she found herself wishing that she had never left the Cullen's home this morning. She hated herself for adding to his pain like that.

She thought back to Germany, and her conversations with him. He loved this town. It was a part of who he was, and yet now, when he had come home to share this town with his wife. The townspeople had turned their backs on him, and he was struggling to understand how that could happen. She could do nothing to make it better and watching him hurt like that broke her heart.

"I would do just about anything for your daddy, Emma, but I don't think we can stay here. It's just too much," she finally confided to her little girl. "But how can I tell him that?"

Fresh hot tears fell down Bella's cheeks. She didn't want Emmett to lose the relationship that he was building with his parents again, and distance would surely do that. She knew that he was stressed, wanting to be able to support his family as he felt was his duty, and that ability was all tied to Forks.

She had never hated another human being as much as she hated Rosalie Hale.

Bella took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Hating the girl wasn't going to get her anywhere. She continued to walk the path until she came to a point that overlooked the Sol Duc River. Walking off the path into a small clearing, Bella found a bench and settled in to watch the water bubble and move. The air was clear and refreshing and Bella relished this small taste of the outdoors. They had been prisoners in the house since they arrived in Forks for obvious reasons, and being outside again was peaceful; now that there was nobody else around. She looked around at the beautiful scenery and smiled sadly. Geographically, Forks was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. Rich green forests, majestic mountains, clear blue water, it was a natural paradise. But right now, all that beauty was superseded by the ugliness of it's inhabitants. What kind of place would not allow a person to even purchase diapers for their child? The tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the humiliation in the grocery store.

The new round of tears and self-pity passed quickly, soon met with a new resolve. Forks didn't deserve her tears. She loved Emmett and she knew that he loved her. The rest... they simply didn't matter. She was stronger than them, would remain stronger. She would show everyone that she was not some shrinking violet that was going to take their abuse. She would not be their victim anymore and she vowed that the people of Forks had seen the last of her tears.

The revelation had been freeing. She wasn't going to allow anyone to make her feel like she didn't belong with her husband. Everyone was just going to have to deal with it. She laughed a little at the levity that appeared in her soul, and she breathed a sigh of relief, happy to have finally come to that conclusion. She decided to enjoy her time outside for a few more minutes before heading back to the car and then to the Cullen's house.

Unfortunately, she had no clue that Emmett had already been to the store and was currently out searching for her and Emma, growing increasingly frantic by the moment. He envisioned all sorts of horrible things, from Bella and Emma being taken by someone to them hopping the first bus out of town to return to Germany. Thankfully Jasper was there to help calm him down and offer more rational possibilities. Carlisle, Esme, Emily and Embry were also helping search.

A cool breeze brought Bella out of her enjoyment of the spot and she shivered against her light coat, holding Emma tighter to her as she looked up at the sky, which had been so blue moments ago, but was now darkening with big fat clouds rolling in. She stood to leave when she was met by a gasp. She bit her lip nervously before steeling herself again. Nobody could make her doubt her husband. She turned around slowly to see which citizen of Forks was going to be the first to test her resolve.

How apropos! Rosalie Hale!


	29. Hello Rosalie

_**I tried to get this uploaded all weekend with no success so hopefully it will work this morning. Originally the chapter was broken in two but I decided that it flowed better together rather than segmented. Next chapter - Emmett to the Rescue Once More will hopefully be up tomorrow morning.**_

Rosalie couldn't believe her luck. She had hoped that she would find Bella, but the reality of actually seeing the tiny brunette in such a remote area was thrilling. It actually played into her plans perfectly. However, she had expected the same shrinking violet that she had seen so briefly at Emmett's welcome home party. She had no clue that with Bella's new resolve, she was not going to be faced with that same person.

She also had no clue that her very comfortable world was unraveling quickly. Very quickly, considering the way that word was spreading in Forks after Emmett's little tirade at the grocery store. Forks phone lines were going nuts, and Rosalie Hale, and Emmett and Bella McCarty were the main topic of discussion everywhere else.

"Bella?" Rosalie said, smiling haughtily. Bella didn't respond, she simply smiled tightly and stared at the blonde, taking the chance to really look at her. Rosalie was beautiful, nobody would deny that. Her blonde hair was perfectly coiffed and her make-up was impeccable. Her clothes were all designer and she wore five inch stilettos, making her already imposing height seem even more threatening. Bella took a deep breath and prepared to greet the woman that had once been important to her husband. No time like the present to put her new resolve to the test.

"Rosalie, right?" Bella asked, smiling sweetly.

"Yeah," Rose said, obviously appraising Bella. She was certain that the mousy little brunette would not be a worthy adversary. In fact, Rosalie almost felt sorry for her. ALMOST! "I heard you had a pretty bad morning," she said, looking at Bella with obviously fake pity. Bella did an internal eye-roll and shook her head, wondering what the blonde amazon was up to.

"I've had better," Bella conceded.

Rosalie was certain that she had the little brunette was quaking in her boots already, but she wanted more. She walked across the clearing on her tip toes and sat down on the far side of the bench, looking at her perfectly manicured fingers as though they held the secret to the universe. Bella didn't speak to her, instead, she turned away and looked at the water, waiting for Rosalie to make a move.

"So how do you like America?" Rosalie asked, making herself sound like a complete fool.

"Depends which part you're talking about," Bella said. "I've spent most of my life in the east or south. This is my first experience on the West coast."

"You've been out of Germany before?" Rosalie asked.

"I'm from the States," Bella said. "My mom and dad are both as American as apple pie."

"Oh," Rosalie said. "Then why were you in Germany?"

"I worked at the hospital there," Bella said, not willing to share more with the blonde then necessary.

"Oh," Rosalie said. "What did you do at the hospital? Clean?"

"I was a nurse," Bella said.

"Oh," Rosalie said, not liking the feeling of Bella being better educated than herself.

Conversation ceased for a few moments. There was nothing that Bella wanted to say to Rosalie, and Rosalie was simply at a loss for words.

"So, what do you think of Forks?" Rosalie asked, smiling slyly.

"Beautiful scenery," Bella said. "However I can't say that I am overly fond of the residents," Bella said honestly.

"I love it here," Rose said snidely. "I am friends with everyone in town. And everyone always has their friend's back." It was an obvious threat, though Bella just rolled her eyes again. She was done with the small-mindedness that was exemplified by Rosalie's behavior.

"Well," Bella said. "It was lovely meeting you, but I really should be getting back. My husband is sure to be worried about me and our daughter by now."

Rosalie cringed slightly at Bella's reference to Emmett and their child, but she wasn't about to let go of her shiny new toy yet.

"But I would love a chance to get to know you," Rosalie said, pouting slightly.

"Really?" Bella asked laughing, finding Rosalie's utterance completely amusing. "You want to get to know me?"

"Of course!" she said. "I mean, I would love to get to know the girl that Emmett settled for when he couldn't have me."

"Is that right?" Bella asked, trying desperately to keep a straight face. "Well, Rosalie, what would you like to know?"

Rosalie was silent for a moment trying to figure something to ask Bella. Bella, in the meantime was fed up with Rosalie's foolishness and leaned down to pick up the diaper bag to go. She knew Emma would be waking to eat soon and she wanted to be back with her husband when that happened.

"You know I was Emmett's first, don't you?" Rosalie said in desperation when she noticed that Bella was ready to leave. "I guess that means I took his virginity."

"And what does that have to do with getting to know me?" Bella asked.

"He told me I was the best ever," she said smugly, crossing her arms and glaring at Bella; challenging the young mother with her words and body language..

Bella shook her head. She felt like she was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. I mean, this should have been totally awkward. After all, her husband's ex-girlfriend was talking about their sex life. Who does that? Bella stared at her completely dumbfounded. She couldn't help but pity the girl who seemed to like putting her own foot in her mouth. I mean, really! Of course she was the best ever, she was the ONLY at the time.

"Congratulations?" Bella said, unsure what the blonde wanted her to say.

"Well, I guess it had been a long time so he probably couldn't remember enough to compare us... but I mean, the differences are obvious," Rosalie said, looking at Bella.

"I guess they are," Bella said, still feeling a strange sense of pity for the blonde who seemed to be stuck in the past.

"You shouldn't feel bad though," she said. "I won't go after him so you shouldn't worry too much. I mean now that you have a kid, I wouldn't want to break up a family."

"That's very gracious of you," Bella said, suddenly wondering if Rosalie was even from the same planet. "I'm going to go now. My daughter is going to need to eat soon and I'm sure that Emmett is wondering where we are by now."

At that moment, the sky in Forks did what the sky in Forks does best. It started raining. First it was just a few drops. Before either woman had even realized what was happening, the sky in Forks did what the sky does best: it opened up and POURED rain.

Bella draped herself over Emma, tightening the blanket around her daughter to protect her from the rain. She turned to leave without another word to Rosalie, but before she had taken ten steps, the blonde gripped her arm and began tugging her in the opposite direction.

"Let me go," Bella growled.

"Look," Rosalie said, trying to cover her head with one of her hands. "It will take a long time to get back to the grocery store from here and you and the baby will be soaked through. Come with me and you can at least be warm and dry. Then you can call Emmett to let him know where to pick you two up."

"I can go to the car," Bella insisted. "It isn't that far."

"I'm only a couple of minutes away. The grocery store is at least 15 minutes from here." she said. "I'm sure Emmett could figure something out as soon as you get ahold of him."

Bella figured that she'd rather gouge her own eyes out with a fork then to follow Rosalie, but her need to keep her daughter warm and dry, and the fact that she really didn't know how far she had gone, meant that she'd better follow the blonde, at least for Emma's sake. Rosalie smiled in triumph before gripping Bella's arm again, tugging her across the clearing. Since Rosalie had more than six inches on Bella, Bella had to almost jog to keep up, not that rosalie noticed or cared. She led Bella past the turn off to the garage with one destination in mind. The house.

Rosalie dragged Bella up the stairs and onto the porch before Bella had a chance to even consider where they were going. Rosalie opened the door and tugged Bella inside before letting go of her arm.

"Take your muddy shoes off here so you don't ruin my carpets," Rosalie said. Bella did as instructed and toed off her runners.

"Do you have a towel I could borrow?" Bella asked, concerned about dripping on the floor, and anxious to get Emma out of the carrier to ensure that she was still warm and dry. Rosalie sighed as though she had been asked to run a marathon.

"Wait here," she instructed as she moved into the house. When she returned, she tossed the pink towel to Bella before turning on her heel and heading for the stairs.

"You can wait in there when you're dry," Rosalie said, pointing into the room on her right before hurrying up the stairs. "I'll just be upstairs for a moment," Rosalie said, before she disappeared into a room at the top of the stairs. She smiled to herself, pleased with where she had left Bella, and vowed to take a little extra time to make sure the little brunette saw EVERYTHING.

Bella did her best to dry up a little before going where Rosalie had pointed. She assumed that there would be a phone in the room. She was wrong. She took the damp blanket off of Emma and dried her hands before taking Emma out of the sling. She was happy to see that Emma had remained completely dry and laid her on the couch while she slipped out of her damp coat. She dried her hair quickly and then picked up her daughter, unsure of when Rosalie was planning on returning, and wanting her child close to her when she did. She felt like she was in a lion's den and wanted to keep her daughter protected at all times.

Rosalie was enjoying taking her sweet time upstairs, first she just puttered around her room, doing inconsequential things before deciding that she really needed to take a shower. After all Emmett was likely to be on her doorstep before long and she wanted to look her best for him, unlike his drowned rat of a wife.

From downstairs, Bella heard the shower turn on and rolled her eyes. Rosalie had obviously had an agenda and unfortunately Bella didn't have any way to leave that didn't involve getting her and Emma soaked, if they could even find their way back from here. She settled on examining the room she was in.

The room was completely over the top, in Bella's estimation. It was supposed to have been elegant, but it was too over done for that. The walls were light pink with gold photo frames filled with pictures all over. The furniture was English, and looked better suited to an English parlor, rather than an American living room. Nothing about it led her to believe that it was decorated with Emmett in mind. Anyone who really knew him, knew he didn't put on airs and she couldn't imagine him ever being comfortable in this room at all. Then there were the photographs. They were everywhere. At least 50 in the one small room.

Rosalie and Emmett were featured prominently in every one, more Rosalie than Emmett even. There were pictures from childhood through present in all sorts of scenarios; holidays, beach trips, school pictures, homecoming, prom, casual pictures and staged shots. Bella recognized Edward and some of the others in the pictures as well, though more often than not they were simply in the background. There was even a picture with Rosalie fawning over Emmett in his uniform before his first deployment. These were all happy memories, obviously chosen to remind Emmett of special times with Rosalie. Yet Bella didn't feel at all threatened by them.

It was actually very easy for her to separate the Emmett in these pictures with Rosalie, and her Emmett. The Emmett in Rosalie's pictures was a boy. He was young, carefree, and hadn't experienced a whole lot. Her Emmett was more. He was still happy and goofy, as he appeared in almost every picture, but he also had a more serious side. He had seen and experienced more. He was a man.

Bella thought back to her own pictures with Emmett, safely placed in albums in her suitcase. There were all the formal pictures from their wedding, the casual pictures they had taken together for fun, and the family pictures they had with Emma. Emmett had insisted that they have a photo shoot with her before he returned to the front, so she could see how much her daddy loved her and her mom if anything happened. Her favorite pictures were taken by Angela when Emmett was on leave during her pregnancy. Bella had been a nervous wreck. Her belly had recently blossomed, and she felt so fat and unattractive. She knew that the last time she had seen him she had had a small waist and flat belly, but by that time, their baby was truly making her presence in her mama's belly known and Bella worried that he might not find her attractive. The pictures Angela snapped laid that worry to rest. He had adored the sight of her waiting for him, and after hugging and kissing her soundly, he dropped to his knees and greeted the child in her womb.

That had been the last time she had felt even remotely self-conscious about being attractive to her husband while she was pregnant, and even now, she knew that her body was different, but Emmett had showed her over and over again that he found her as attractive as she always was to him. There were so many of their moments that were captured forever in print and she smiled at the thought. Every one of their pictures proved that he loved and adored her.

When the shower had still not turned off, Bella got frustrated and searched the rest of the bottom floor for a phone. The hallway to the kitchen continued the 'shrine to Rosalie and Emmett' theme, but nothing could have prepared her for the kitchen. Bella knew, from Emmett, that this had been his favorite room, and from the way he spoke she had been looking forward to spending a great deal of time in here herself. However, now she wanted out as quickly as possible. The layout, the stainless steel appliances, the hardwood floors, the dark cupboards, and the beautiful granite countertops were all there as Emmett had remembered, but now the walls were painted bubblegum pink, the window that overlooked the backyard was covered in pink fluffy curtains and floral towels and accents covered every spare surface. The small table in the room was covered in a lace tablecloth and still there was no phone.

The bathroom and den continued the same theme as the kitchen and den, pink and floral, and Bella couldn't see how Emmett was even considered in the decor. The garage was empty except for the pile of boxes piled haphazardly in the middle. Still no phone.

Bella returned to the living room and contemplated putting on her coat and chancing the rain when she heard Rosalie's hairdryer start. If it hadn't been for Emma beginning to fuss because she was hungry, she probably would have. Bella grabbed the diaper bag and laid Emma on the couch to change her before sitting in an armchair to nurse her. She covered herself for modesty, though she needn't have bothered since Rosalie's hairdryer didn't turn off the entire time that the baby ate. In fact, by the time that Rosalie came down the stairs again, perfectly groomed once more, Emma was long done and contentedly sitting in her mother's arms.

"So you said you had a phone I could use," Bella snapped as soon as Rosalie appeared in the room.

Rosalie was taken aback for a moment so she didn't answer. She had assumed that the girl would be a mess when she returned, yet she seemed fine. She stared at her, trying to find any sign of weakness or even redness in her eyes to show that she had been crying or emotional. She found none. She was certain that the jealousy should have been eating her to the core.

"Of course," Rosalie said sweetly, pulling her cell phone from her back pocket.

"I should tell Emmett that I'm here," Bella said. "I'm sure he's worried."

"He's worried alright," Rosalie muttered.

"I beg your pardon," Bella said, shocked by Rosalie's statement.

"Oh that," Rosalie said, acting like the news she was about to share was normal. "He freaked hours ago and sent everyone out searching for you."

"What?" Bella asked, incensed. "And you didn't say anything for the last hour?"

"He's not my husband," Rosalie said, shrugging her shoulders. She held her cell phone out to Bella and rolled her eyes.

Bella reached into the diaper bag to grab Esme's cell phone number, the only number she had, dialing it quickly.

"Rosalie," Esme answered, sounding flustered. "What is it?"

"It's not Rosalie," Bella said. "It's Bella."

"Bella!" Esme practically screamed, sounding relieved at the same time. "Hold on, Honey. We'll get to you as soon as we can." Then she was yelling again, this time with the mouthpiece partially covered. "EMMETT, Bella is on the phone!"

Not even 5 seconds passed when Bella heard Emmett's frantic voice in the background before he took Esme's phone. "Bella, Babe! Are you okay? Where are you? Is Emma okay?"

"We're fine. We've been with Rosalie for the last hour. She only just told me that you had been looking for me."

"Rosalie?" Emmett said, sounding concerned. "Where are you?"

"At her place," Bella said, glancing around the room. There was no way she could call this place his.

"We'll be right there," he said. "I love you, Babe. I love you so much." She didn't even get a chance to respond before he hung up. She handed Rosalie the phone and sat back awkwardly.

"So..." Rosalie said.

"So," Bella repeated.

Awkward silence descended on the two as they waited for Emmett's arrival.


	30. Emmett, Rosalie and Bella OH MY!

Not even five minutes had gone by when the door was thrown open and a very wet Emmett dashed through the door, dropping to the floor in front of his wife and daughter.

"You're okay," he said, dropping his head to her lap.

"I really am," she said, reaching her hand down to caress his cheek.

"I am so sorry, Baby," he said to her. "I should never have left you this morning. I should have..."

"Em," Bella said, guiding his face from her lap so she could see his eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong. I love you."

"They should never have treated you that way. You never deserved that," he said, almost crying as he looked at her. "I promised your dad. I promised him that I would never hurt you, that I would take care of you... and I failed. I failed so bad!"

"You never failed, and you haven't hurt me. I am not going to lie to you and tell you that this has been nothing, that the people here haven't made me question certain decisions. But I have never questioned or doubted you, Em. You have never given me cause to doubt your love for me or for our girl," she said to him.

That was it, Emmett lost it and dropped his head to his wife's lap and cried. He loved this woman with every fiber of his being and by some miracle, despite all that had happened since they arrived in Forks, she felt the same way about him.

She caressed his head as he cried, whispering to him that she loved him over and over, until he regained his composure.

"How did I get so lucky?" he asked her, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"It's me who's lucky, Emmett," Bella said, wiping her own tears away.

"Isn't that sweet," Rosalie snarked, crossing her arms. "It's so sweet I may just vomit."

"You know what, Rose," Emmett said, turning around to face the girl he once cared for. "We don't need your attitude."

"Is that any way to treat me?" she gasped, grinning wickedly. "Especially after I went out of my way to help your wife and daughter!"

"Quit the games Rosalie," Emmett sighed. "I can see right through you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"You were the one who broke up with me. You were the one who moved on. And you know what?" he said. "I thank God every day for that."

"What do you mean?" she said, truly stunned that Emmett would say that to her. "We were happy! You loved me!"

"Maybe once upon a time I did," Emmett said, looking at her. "But it was a long time ago. Now I see you for who you really are; a control freak who would do anything to get her own way."

"Take that back!" Rosalie demanded, stomping her food.

"No," Emmett said, glaring at her. "I won't take it back because it's true."

"Look," Rosalie said, pointing to all the pictures. "Look at those. We were happy. If it wasn't for her we could have had that again. We would have been happy."

"No," Emmett said. "You may have been happy. Not me."

"This house was for us," Rosalie cried, actually getting truly emotional.

"For us?" Emmett laughed, looking around the room in disgust. "Which part was done with me in mind? The fru-fru furniture? The pink drapes? The stupid doilies that I have always made fun of? What Rosalie?"

"Emmett," Rosalie said, trying to make him see all that she had done for them.

"This just proves my point even more," Emmett said, gesturing around him. "You don't know me at all. You never have, because all you have only ever cared about is yourself, and I was so busy trying to keep you happy that I never even realized that. I was so busy putting your happiness in front of my own that I forgot all about me."

"Look," Rosalie cried, tears actually streaming down her cheeks. "Look at the pictures Emmett. We were happy."

"At times," Emmett conceded. "But you can't see everything in these pictures. You can't see all the times when you would scream or cry because you didn't get what you wanted. The times that you would play games to get a reaction out of me. There aren't pictures of those."

"Emmett," Rosalie said, not understanding what he was saying.

"This picture here," Emmett said, grabbing the picture of him and Rosalie when he was in his uniform. "What do you remember about this picture?"

"We went to Port Angeles for dinner right after it was taken," Rosalie said. "We had a nice night."

"Why?" Emmett asked.

"Because you loved me," she said.

"No," Emmett laughed. "That certainly wasn't why we went to dinner. You had been sulking for days and wouldn't even speak to me. My mother wanted a picture of us together with me in my uniform and you refused. I had to bribe you with dinner to even get you to agree to pose for that picture. You harped and whined the whole meal about having to be alone while I was gone, and all the things you would miss out on. I was never so happy to get you out of my car when I dropped you off at home. Shall I tell you my memories from some of the other pictures on this wall?"

"No," Rosalie said. "You deserved me not talking to you. You joined the army without even talking to you."

"I probably joined the army to get the hell away from you," Emmett said.

"That's not true," Rosalie said.

"Maybe not," Emmett growled. "I certainly got a lot more peace in a war zone than I ever did spending time with you."

"You are an asshole," Rosalie said.

"Speaking of assholes, how about Royce, Rosalie?" Emmett asked. "Where are your pictures with him? Where are all those?"

"I never wanted Royce!" Rosalie cried. "I wanted you! But you weren't here. So I decided that I would make you hurt like you hurt me."

"So you did go after Royce intentionally," Emmett laughed humorlessly. "I knew it."

"I did," Rosalie said. "Not like I could have dated anyone in Forks. You were their golden boy. And he wanted me. He made me feel special."

"You are so self-centered," Emmett scoffed. "I thank God that you gave me that stupid ultimatum. I may never have been strong enough to fight for what I wanted otherwise."

"You should have just come home when I told you to," Rosalie said. "That's all I wanted. We would have been happy if you just did what you were supposed to do."

"Listen to yourself," Emmett said, incredulously. "I never would have been happy Rosalie. It would have killed me to let my brothers go back alone..."

"They aren't your family," Rosalie huffed. "Your family was in Forks."

"They are my brothers," Emmett insisted. "In every way that matters. Trying to make me abandon them was never going to happen."

"What about you Bella?" Rosalie asked. "If Emmett wanted to go back again, would you just stand by and let him go?"

"If it was something he felt strongly about, of course," Bella responded. "I would miss him like crazy and worry non-stop, but I would support him with all that I am."

"And who would you go to the movies with?" Rosalie asked.

"Friends," Bella responded. "Or alone if need be."

"And who would take you to dinner and out on dates?" she asked.

"You speak like the sacrifice was all yours," Bella said angrily. "Like you suffered so much. But you know nothing about suffering. You slept in your warm bed and ate three meals a day. You enjoyed a freedom that was bought and paid for by men like Emmett who were willing to fight everyday so you and all the people at home could be free. And yet you speak like it was your sacrifice!"

"I needed someone," Rosalie cried. "I needed to be held, not talked to from thousands of miles away. I need to be number one, not an afterthought."

"I couldn't be that Rosalie," Emmett said, almost sounding defeated. "I knew when I joined that there was a very real chance that you wouldn't wait, and honestly, that was a chance I was willing to take. I was so tired of your games and controlling nature. I needed a chance to be me. That's why I didn't tell you until after I did it. And guess what I found? I like me."

"I love you Emmett," Rosalie said, throwing caution to the wind. "We could be that happy again. You could love me again! I know you could."

"No," Emmett said. "Never again."

"Please," Rosalie begged. "Don't say that just because she is here... Please Emmett!"

"Rosalie, there is nothing left. I struggle to even have fond memories anymore. Even if Bella and Emma didn't exist, I'm not the same person that left Forks six years ago," Emmett told her. "I can't be who you want again."

"Because of her!" Rosalie hissed.

"No, because of me." he said, shaking his head sadly. "I never chose Bella over you Rosalie. I chose me over you."

Rosalie screamed in frustration and Emmett turned away from her, tired of her drama.

He faced his wife and smiled at her, offering her his hand to help her up. "I know what real love is now Rosalie. It's not control and fear. It's about a piece of your heart existing outside of yourself and knowing that the owner of that piece will cherish it as you cherish the piece of theirs that you hold. It's about putting someone else's wants and needs first, and knowing that you won't lose yourself in that because they are doing the same thing for you. "

Emmett never turned back to face his ex. His eyes were strictly on his wife's. She was his everything. The last few days had proved it beyond any measure.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her.

"Definitely," Bella said. Emmett took Emma in his hands and placed a kiss on her pudgy little cheeks, careful not to hold her too close so she'd stay dry. Bella slipped into her coat, not sparing Rosalie one glance. She gathered her stuff as Emmett spoke softly to little Emma, apologizing for all the drama she had had to endure since she arrived in Forks. They were ready to step out the door when the rest of the search party arrived.

Rosalie's eyes lit up as Emily came through the door. Unfortunately for her, Emily paid her no notice as she grabbed Bella in a tight embrace.

"Oh Darling Girl!" Emily cooed to Bella. "I was so worried when I heard what had happened. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine now," Bella replied, smiling at her mother-in-law. "Thank you."

Rosalie stared aghast as the rest of the group greeted Bella just as warmly. Nobody even spared her a glance. Embry, Carlisle, Esme and even Jasper... nothing. They all spoke quickly, making plans to meet at the Cullen's for dinner. Rosalie was not even considered in the invitation.

Pretty soon, they all were heading out the door. Esme had brought the car with the baby seat, and they all made plans to load into the cars. Bella was last out the door, and the only person to even spare a word for Rosalie.

"Goodbye," she said, as she closed the door on the blonde.

Rosalie watched as the cars backed out of her driveway. She was desperate. She knew that she was losing everything and she was ready for one last ditch attempt to reclaim the love and adoration that was rightfully hers.

All she needed was a plan. She paced the floor for hours, trying to figure out what she could do. Finally it hit her, her best plan yet. She dialed Alice, anxious to share her plans with her best friend. The phone rang a few times before Alice's chipper voice came on the line.

"This is Alice Cullen Whitlock's answering machine," the recorded message chirped happily. "Leave a message at the tone and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Alice, it's Rose. I think I may have underestimated my opponents. It's time for the next part of this plan. It's time for Bella and Emmett to feel pain!"

.

**_I know the last chapter wasn't what a lot of you expected or wanted, but I wanted to tell you to be patient. Rosalie wasn't an outright nasty person. She was devious and underhanded with her control. That was what she had always done to Emmett, who has finally put two and two together now and is seeing her for what she always was. That's what she has done to everyone else in her life too... and people will find out. She is going to get what is coming to her. I promise. Now there are also two out-takes that are almost ready to go. The first is an Alice/Jasper outtake. The next is an Esme outtake. I will be sending the Alice/Jasper one out tomorrow to reviewers and it will be posted after the completion of the story. The Esme one may not be done before the story is complete but it will also be sent to reviewers before being posted. _**

**_._**


	31. A Little Fluff, Before The Storm

Embry and Emily left Rosalie's place and headed straight to Port Angeles. Emily was thrilled to be able to do something to help Emmett and Bella out and Embry wanted a chance to talk to his wife. He wanted to make big changes and he wasn't sure that Emily was going to like all of them.

Esme gave the keys to the car to Emmett again, stating that she and Carlisle needed to make a stop before returning home.

"Don't expect us for at least a couple of hours," Esme told them. "We're going to have quite the gang for dinner tonight, so you guys should make sure you get a shower and some rest after such an eventful day."

Bella blushed scarlet at Esme's words. Only Emmett noticed.

By the time that they had returned to the Cullen house, Emma had fallen asleep in her car seat, leaving her mom and dad plenty of time to shower and nap, though neither got any sleep.

By the time that Esme and Carlisle returned, others were starting to arrive. The first being one of the people that Emmett was most loathe to see.

"Hello," Alice said quietly as she entered the living room. Her eyes were downcast and she looked far from the confident brash young woman she had always been. Emmett didn't care about the difference. Her vile bitter words resonated in his ears just being in the same room. He glared at her momentarily before settling in to completely ignore her. Bella on the other hand, pulling at every ounce of courage she had, greeted the woman kindly.

"Hello," she said, smiling at her tentatively. "You're Alice right?"

"Yeah," Alice said, leaning nervously into her husband's side. Jasper placed his hand on her shoulder but did little else to ease her obvious discomfort. Alice looked up at him sadly before moving across the room to sit down on the sofa. It did not escape anyone's attention that Jasper went to sit in an armchair as far from his wife as possible.

"You must be due soon," Bella said as Alice struggled to find a comfortable way to sit.

"Five weeks," Alice said, looking at Bella hopefully. "I feel like I'm going to explode."

"I remember that feeling," Bella said, looking over fondly at her daughter who was sitting in Emmett's arms. "It was a blessing and a curse."

"I'm struggling to find the blessing," Alice sighed. "I just want to meet my baby already."

"I was hoping the opposite at that point," Bella said wistfully, putting her hand on Emmett's arm. "I really wanted her to wait until her daddy could be there with us."

"Wow," Alice said. "It must have been hard on you to have been alone."

"I wasn't alone," Bella said, defensively. "I had my dad and my friends, and of course little Emma to keep me company. Plus Emmett and I tried to find time at least every other day to talk on Skype."

"But it isn't the same as if he had been there," Alice said.

"I wasn't the only one who had to deal with the separation," Bella said.

"But it isn't the same for men," Alice said.

"You're right," Bella said, getting angry at Alice's naive thought processes. "Emmett didn't get to feel her little movements or to see constant evidence that she was there. Instead he had to focus on staying safe so he could come home to us while fighting for a freedom that everyone else takes for granted."

Emmett placed his hand on Bella's leg trying to soothe her as best as he could. Feeling his touch did calm her some but Alice's ignorant, selfish attitude really did not sit well with Bella.

"I just wish he'd come out already," Alice huffed. "I'm tired of looking like a whale."

"The last few weeks are so important for your baby's health," Bella said, biting her cheek to keep from calling Alice out on her selfish attitude. "I know it's hard but every day he or she stays in means the stronger he or she will be at birth."

"Really?" Alice said, rubbing her belly. "I never thought of it that way."

"Definitely," Bella said, calming herself down some. She still was not fond of Alice. As far as Bella was concerned she was just as selfish and self-centered as Rosalie.

"It is funny to feel all the movement going on," Alice said, eager to have someone to talk to about pregnancy and baby stuff. Somehow she thought that Bella was happy to commiserate with her.

"I loved feeling all the little movements," Bella said. "It reminded me that this little person, who was half Emmett and half me would be here soon. I loved dreaming about what she would look like. Watching my belly move was a riot. Does your baby ever poke a hand or a foot out?"

"Sometimes. Mostly he pushes his butt out," Alice said, grimacing slightly. She hated everything about her pregnancy, other than the baby, though she already swore he would be an only child. She hated being fat. She couldn't see her feet, or wear any cute clothing.

Emmett watched as Bella and Alice spoke. He could tell that his wife was not comfortable with Alice, but he was proud of her for trying. He also looked at Jasper, who was cold and distant from his wife and the conversation in general, and he wondered what had happened since he had last seen the man to change his demeanor that much.

"Emma loved hearing her daddy's voice while I was pregnant," Bella said trying to bring the guys into the conversation. "She got so excited in there every time."

"How could she hear him? Wasn't he still thousands of miles away?" Alice asked.

"Skype," Bella laughed, looking over at Emmett, as she remembered their conversations. "Emmett insisted on speaking to her every time we spoke. He loved to watch my belly wiggle when she moved for him."

"Wow!" Alice said, actually sounding impressed.

"Alice doesn't like me talking to her belly," Jasper said bitterly, opening his mouth for the first time since they had arrived. "She says it's weird."

Alice stared at Jasper before turning away sadly. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out.

"I thought it was a little different until she started responding to him," Bella said, trying to break the awkwardness that engulfed the room. "When she was born, she knew his voice right away."

"I guess my son is screwed then," Jasper said.

"It's never too late to start," Emmett said, piping in, but directing his words only to Jasper. "I wasn't there for a lot of time when Bella was pregnant, but I still got whatever Daddy/Baby time I could. My favorite time was after Bella had fallen asleep and I could still see Emma moving around. I'd get right down and talk to her. It was awesome!"

"You can do that?" Jasper asked. "She really heard you?"

"You bet," Emmett said, smiling happily at Jasper. "We loved our Daddy and Emma time, even though Mommy was right there, sound asleep."

"I guess that's the only way Jackson will ever know my voice," Jasper huffed, still not even looking at Alice.

The room fell quiet again, but it wasn't a comfortable silence. It was awkward and uncomfortable. Finally Bella decided that she was either going to run from the room screaming or she had to figure out something to say.

"Jackson is a great name," she said, happy to find something that she could comment on that wouldn't be awkward. "How did you guys pick it?"

"Jasper picked it," Alice said. "I chose his middle names."

"Cool," Bella said, feeling as though she had stepped on a landmine.

"I was a twin," Jasper said. "My brother Jackson passed away when we were young. I always knew I would name my first son after him."

"I'm sorry," Bella said, feeling like she was going to throw up.

"Me too," Jasper said, feeling bad for making Bella feel uncomfortable. She had had enough sadness in the last week, thanks in large part to his wife.

The awkward silence was back, and this time Bella wasn't about to open her mouth to try to combat it. She was actually sorry that Emma was fed and content since leaving to feed her would have been a great excuse. She was actually just about to go and beg Esme to let her help in the kitchen when Edward arrived then with his fiancee Angela. They had two large gift bags that were obviously baby presents bags and Alice's eyes lit up, assuming that they were gifts for her. When they were placed in front of Bella and Emmett she did her best to maintain her composure. Edward and Angela still hadn't bought anything for her baby; not that she was keeping tabs or anything.

"Gifts?" Emmett asked, looking up at his friend, truly surprised that he would do this. "You guys didn't need to do that."

"Every baby need gifts," Angela answered, before turning to Bella and smiling. "Hi, I'm Angela." She held out her hand for Bella to shake.

"I'm Bella," Bella answered, shaking her hand happily. "It's nice to meet you." She was thrilled to meet Edward's fiancee, and her bright and pleasant demeanor was like a ray of sunshine in the midst of all the commotion.

"You too," Angela replied. "I've been looking forward to meeting you since Edward wouldn't shut up about how great you are. I might have been worried if you weren't married to his bestie."

Edward grabbed her around the waist, tickling her and making her shriek.

"Quit telling my secrets, Woman," he said, kissing her neck.

Bella and Emmett smiled at the playful couple before the outspoken woman spoke up once more. "Now give me that baby and open those presents."

Angela swooped in and picked up Emma from Emmett's arms.

"Please excuse her," Edward said, laughing. "She lacks any sort of filter."

Angela stuck her tongue out at him before proceeding to completely ignore him while making funny faces and noises trying to get Emma to smile. Edward shook his head and smiled indulgently at Angela. Emmett and Bella both noted how much their opposite personalities complimented each other. Edward was quiet and reserved while Angela... wasn't. It seemed like a great balance for both.

"You get the honors of opening," Bella told Emmett. "I got to do some in Germany."

Emmett's grin was infectious as he pulled the first gift towards him. Everyone smiled at seeing him so excited.

"We decided to buy presents that no baby needs, but that all the cool babies should have," Angela said as Emmett pulled something wrapped in tissue out of the bag. The tissue wrapped packages just seemed to continue as Emmett and Bella alternated between awwing and laughing at all the gifts that Edward and Angela had brought for Emma.

There was a box of crazy socks, some were camoflage, some looked like little runners. There were ballet slippers and Mary Janes and even skulls and cross bones. There were personalized burp cloths, funny bibs, a tutu, crazy pacifiers, baby headbands, crazy hats and two pairs of funky slippers. The second bag was filled with fun and quirky outfits and onesies. The first onesie was in pink camo and read "My daddy is my hero and I'm his little princess." The next had a ruffled skirt and was red, white and blue with the phrase "Watch out! My daddy wears combat boots." The other onesies were filled with silly phrases that had Emmett and Bella in stitches and even drew some laughter from Alice and Jasper. There was even a tiny baby raincoat and boots which was the "only useful thing in the bunch" according to Angela. At the bottom there was a black t-shirt that was obviously too big for Emma. Emmett looked confused as he opened it up. His confusion was quickly replaced with laughter as he ripped his t-shirt off and replaced it with the shirt from Angela and Edward that read "This daddy belongs to Emma Renee McCarty."

All eyes in the room were drawn to his large scar on his chest and shoulder, Edward's especially. That had been no small wound and the reality that Emmett's injuries were more than superficial crashed down on Edward once more. Edward wanted to comment on it but couldn't find a way to do it.

"Thank you so much," Bella said to Angela and Edward.

"Yeah," Emmett piped in. "It's all very cool."

"She'll be the coolest baby girl in Washington State if Aunty Angela has anything to say about it, right Emma?" Angela said, staring straight at Emma and making goofy faces at her again.

"Aunty Angela?" Edward asked her, smiling at his quirky fiancee.

"Duh!" Angela said to him. "She has to call me something. You are Uncle Edward and I am the ever cool Aunty Angela."

"Works for me," Bella said. "Every baby needs a cool aunty."

"See," Angela said to Edward, sticking out her tongue playfully.

Both couples laughed heartily before Edward decided to greet Jasper and his sister. He was still angry at Alice for her behavior but he was trying to avoid all conflict for everyone's sake.

"Good to see you Jasper," Edward said, greeting his brother-in-law. "You too Alice. How's my little nephew doing?"

"We're good,"Alice said, smiling halfheartedly.

"Good to hear," Edward said."I'm going to go find Mom and say hi."

He walked out of the room and silence descended once more. It wasn't silent for long.

"So Bella," Angela said, looking at Bella, obviously fighting a grin. "How do you like Forks?"

If anyone else had asked the question, it would have been awkward, but Angela had a way of making things light and easy. So after a little explanation about the over-the-top welcome home party, Bella told her story from the grocery store.

"I thought I could go to the grocery store for a few things," she said with a sigh. "I saw that we only had a few diapers left and I thought I could grab a few things while Emmett was out jogging. I didn't expect people to be friendly but I couldn't believe that they wouldn't even serve me at all."

"They really didn't serve you?" Angela asked in shock.

"The cashier closed the register down and left," Bella said, rolling her eyes.

"Edward, we are not moving here," Angela said, as he walked back into the room. "That is preposterous!"

"I know," Edward said. "This place is a nightmare."

"When Rosalie Hale is the town hero, you know it's time to leave," Emmett said, causing the four of them to laugh. Alice was majorly uncomfortable. She had been friends with Rosalie for so long, but she couldn't help but to agree with what was being said. She looked over at Jasper sadly, wondering if he would ever forgive her for all she had done.

"Hello," Emily McCarty called as she came in the door. "We're back."

Both Emily and Embry were laden down with bags.

"That looks like more than we needed, Ma," Emmett said to her.

"Sorry," Emily said, looking sheepishly at her son. "It was my first chance to go shopping for my granddaughter."

Everyone laughed at Emily's expression and Emmett jumped up and helped take some of the bags from her.

"Can I come by tomorrow to show you what we got her?" Emily asked.

"Sure, Ma," Emmett said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"We have other things to discuss too," Embry said, clapping his son on the shoulder. "Things that should have been done and said immediately."

"Thanks Dad," Emmett said.

Everyone sat down in the living room and conversation flowed freely. Even Jasper got into the conversation. His earlier glum mood seemed to have passed and Alice smiled as she looked at him. She had a lot of making up to do. Not only to him, but to everyone here. When dinner was called they all gathered around the table. Emily had managed to wrangle little Emma from her Aunty Angela with a little effort and was happily sitting at the table with her granddaughter tucked in her arm.

Dinner flowed smoothly and as Emmett looked around, he realized that this was what he had dreamed of. His mother talking animatedly with his wife, his daughter tucked happily in her grandmother's arm. Smiles all around the table, with everyone he cared most for present. But the best was his Bella, his wife, tucked into his side, smiling happily as she conversed with their family.

For just a moment, everything else flew out the window and Emmett lived his dream. His heart filled with the image until his eyes focused on Alice. Her eyes were downcast and Emmett had a sick feeling that she knew more about everything that had happened than she was letting on.

"Alice," he said, garnering her attention, and that of the rest of the table.

"Yeah?" she said, looking up at him sadly.

"Maybe, if you're up to it, we could have a talk," Emmett said.

Alice's mouth went dry and her breathing hitched. She knew that she needed to do this, but that didn't mean it would be easy. She looked over to Jasper who glared back.

"I'd appreciate that Emmett," she said.

Emmett kissed Bella on the side of the head before standing up. He looked over to Edward who nodded. Silent guy code passing between the two. Edward would look out for Bella while Emmett was gone... and Emmett wouldn't kill Edward's twin sister. Alice smiled sadly at her mother before chancing a look at her husband, then she slowly followed Emmett from the room.

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_**So Alice... Is she turning over a new leaf? Can she? She seems to have seen the error in her ways yet she is essentially the same selfish person she always was. And what is up with Jasper? He stood by her after her little outburst at the welcome home party,**__ **though he was not happy with her**_. What has changed?  


_**So... there is an Alice/Jasper outtake. A little conversation that occurred between Jasper and Alice after he arrived home from helping to find Bella. This will only be released to reviewers for the time being, to thank my faithful readers and reviewers. Please remember that I can't respond with the chapter unless you sign in with your review.**_

_** It will be published after the completion of the story.**_


	32. Alice Tries to Explain

_**Sorry for the long delay! My computer decided to go on strike with no warning. After some contract negotiations it decided to at least share the data on board before it moved on to greener pastures. My new computer is pretty happy in it's new position now, so there should be no further delays. Thank you all for your patience! If you did not get the Alice/Jasper out take from the previous chapter, and would like it, please let me know in your review for this chapter and I will be happy to send it to you.**_

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The table was silent for a few moments after Alice and Emmett left. Esme Cullen was the one to break the silence.

"Jasper," she said, looking at her son-in-law. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Jasper replied truthfully.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked, concern etched in every word. Esme Cullen was not a stupid woman. She knew in her heart of hearts that Alice was more involved in the Rosalie drama than she was aware of, but she had believed that Alice was essentially a good person and that she wouldn't have been done anything too bad. She stared over at her son-in-law sadly.

"It's worse than you can imagine," Jasper said quietly. Esme pulled her eyes from Jasper's, feeling her heart lurch in her chest. She took a deep breath and fought off the distinct urge to throw up. She looked at Bella, then Emily and Embry

There was a collective intake of breaths. Bella dropped her head in concern. She didn't want Emmett to be hurt anymore. The silence that followed was painful.

"So, Emily," Angela said, breaking the silence. "How did Rosalie convince you to let her turn Emmett's house into a Barbie Dream House?"

Emmett led Alice to Edward's music room. He had known her for so long that his mind reeled with all the possible reasons that she could be so affected. He didn't want to play games. He wanted the truth from her.

"Please start talking Alice," Emmett said.

"I never meant for any of this to hurt you," Alice said. "I just wanted you to be happy."

"I am happy... or at least I was until I stepped foot back in Forks. Bella makes me happier than I have ever been, and Emma... I can't even begin to tell you how incredible it feels to be her daddy," Emmett said.

"But you could have been happy with Rose," Alice said. "I know that you could have."

"You can't know that, Alice," Emmett said. "I certainly don't."

"She still loves you Emmett," Alice cried. "She never stopped."

"She sure didn't show it," Emmett scoffed. "But maybe I didn't either..."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"I joined the army without talking to her. I knew that she would hate that, but it didn't matter at the time. I knew she wouldn't be happy, but it didn't matter to me. I knew that there was a chance that she wouldn't wait for me and still I took it. Re-enlisting was the same."

"So you didn't love her?" Alice asked.

"I thought I did," Emmett answered honestly. "But I have never felt anything like I felt for Bella almost instantly. The thought of going back to a war zone and leaving her behind almost broke me. I couldn't do it without putting a ring on her finger. I needed to tie her to me in every way possible."

"And you never felt that with Rose?" Alice asked sadly.

"When Rose told me that we were done if I didn't come home, I didn't believe her at first. I thought that she was being a drama queen as usual. Then when she did it, when she summarily dismissed my opinions and feelings without a thought or a care, I was devastated. She was all I had known, all I had dreamed of, since I was five years old. Then the anger hit. She wouldn't even listen to me, Alice. She wouldn't even hear why I needed to stay. Does that sound like the actions of someone that was supposed to love me?"

"She does love you," Alice said. "I know she does."

"She loved the idea of me," Emmett said. "She loved a boy who never had an opinion other than what made her happy."

"Is that so wrong?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Emmett said. "Yes it is when that person won't even consider your needs. Once upon a time I was content with Rose. Could I have remained content forever? Possibly, at one point it was all I thought about. But that was before I knew what I wanted from life. Rose could never have given me that."

"She would have done anything for you," Alice cried.

"No," Emmett said. "She never did and she never would. Rose thinks about her and only her. Everyone else is an afterthought."

"She made your house a home," she cried.

"She made my house look like pink threw up there," Emmett said. "There was nothing that I saw there that I would have ever liked."

"You liked making her happy," Alice said.

"It was the only way I got any peace and quiet," Emmett said. "That's what I thought life was... and keeping Rose happy was a full time job."

"And it's not that way with Bella?" Alice asked.

"No. Not at all," Emmett said. "We work st it together. Does her happiness matter to me? Of course, more than anything else in the world. But she wants the same for me. Did you know that the only reason we are still here is because of my wife?"

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"I was ready to leave, to turn around and never come back," Emmett said. "Almost everyone that I had loved and respected had treated the woman that I love more than my own life, worse than dog shit. She stayed for me. She didn't want me to lose everything and everyone I had ever known. So, do I try my best to make Bella happy? Yes, but she does the same for me... and that has never happened to me before."

"So you are leaving Forks for her," Alice stated sadly.

"No I'm not," Emmett said.

"So you're staying?" Alice asked, certain Bella would have demanded that they leave.

"Doubtful," Emmett sneered, thinking of everything that his wife had had to endure since she had come to Forks. "There is nothing here for me now, Alice. Rosalie has destroyed everything for me."

"And me..." Alice said, looking at the ground.

"What do you mean Alice?" he asked.

"I helped," Alice said quietly, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"You helped?" Emmett asked just as quietly.

"I didn't do it to hurt you," she said. "I though I was helping you... both of you..."

"How did you help?" Emmett asked, fighting to keep his anger in check.

"Sometimes it was just talking... sometimes it was more..." Alice sniffled.

"More how?" Emmett growled.

"Your mom," Alice said sadly.

"What about her?" Emmett asked.

"When Rose broke up with you, your mom was livid. When she started dating Royce, it was worse," Alice confided. "When Rose broke up with Royce, she was desperate to get back into your mother's good graces. I helped... I thought that you guys could be happy. Happy like Jasper and I..."

"So you set my mother up?" Emmett asked, staring at Alice, wondering if he ever really knew her.

"I didn't mean it that way," Alice cried. "I thought I was doing a good thing."

"And you used you mom," Emmett said. "You used your mother's relationship with mine to do it! Alice... I don't even know what to say..."

"I didn't want to hurt you Emmett," she cried. "I wanted you home. I wanted you here again so it could be like it always was. We were all best friends and I wanted that. We even set our wedding date so that you could be there... then you signed up again... You were going to be Jasper's best man."

"I was always going to be there for you guys," Emmett said. "When I reenlisted I knew when the wedding was and made certain I could be there for you guys."

"But you weren't there!" Alice cried.

"Because I knew what was going on with Rose. I didn't want her drama to overshadow everything so I stayed away for you. For both you and Jasper so that it wouldn't be awkward."

"I know that now," Alice cried. "I thought I was helping."

"I can't listen to anymore," Emmett said. "I can't believe that you helped manipulate people that you supposedly love to suit your needs."

"I thought I was helping," Alice cried again.

"The only person you were helping was you. You are just as selfish as Rosalie, maybe even more so. You used your own mother. You used your husband. You used my mom, a woman that you have called Aunty since you were a child. It wasn't for Rose, or for me. It wasn't for Jasper. It was for Alice."

"I'm sorry," Alice cried.

"You know what," Emmett said, staring at Alice in disbelief. "You don't even understand what you have done do you?"

"I hurt you," Alice cried. "I get that..."

"Me?" Emmett asked. "What about Jasper? I can only guess that his mood tonight had to do with this little confession."

"I love him," Alice said. "I didn't want to hurt him."

"What about my mom?" Emmett asked. "Is she going to get an apology too?"

"Yes," Alice sniffled.

"What about your mom?" Emmett said. "They are both going to be heartbroken because of your lies and manipulation."

"I want to fix it," Alice cried.

"I don't know if you can," Emmett said sadly. "I'm done here."

"Don't let what I did affect your friendship with Jasper. Please!" Alice cried.

Emmett ignored her and walked out of the music room. He felt like his head was going to implode. He couldn't rejoin the group after that and hurried up the stairs to the room he was sharing with Bella. He looked around the room, struggling to find some sense to all that he had heard. Finally he sat on the floor against the wall with his knees bent and placed his head down on his knees and let the devastation take over.


	33. Fallout

_**Sorry that the chapters aren't coming as fast as they were previously. Life has been CRAZY and I have also been rewriting the final chapters to include some things I felt were missing... such as this...**_

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When Bella heard Emmett go upstairs she quickly excused herself to follow him. She knew whatever he heard must have been bad to not even return to the table.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking at Esme with concern. "I have to go to him."

"Go," Emily said. "I'll keep Emma for you for now."

Bella hated to leave her daughter but she knew Emmett would need her, so she nodded quickly and headed out of the room up to find her husband. She hurried up the stairs and down the hall to the room that she shared with Emmett. Her heart plummeted to the ground when she saw him slumped against the wall with his head on his knees. She quickly closed and locked their door before crossing the room to drop to her knees in front of him, rubbing her fingers against his short hair.

"Emmett," she whispered, calling to him. He didn't look up, he couldn't. He was supposed to be strong. He was supposed to be supporting her, especially with all that had happened in the last week. He was almost embarrassed to be feeling so weak but he couldn't put on a brave face right now, not even for her.

"Babe please," she said to him, her voice breaking as she started to cry. "I'm here. I love you. Please let me in!"

He looked up at her with red rimmed eyes. He didn't deserve her, he knew that for a fact, yet here she was supporting him. He met her eyes and he saw everything he needed in their depths

"I love you so much," he said, his voice cracking. He put his knees down and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight to his chest and cried. It wasn't just Alice's confessions. It was his own realizations. He had allowed Rosalie to control him for years, refusing to even have an opinion that may have differed from hers. Now that was biting him in the ass, and his wife was paying the price.

"I love you with everything that I am Emmett," she said, clutching him tightly. He could feel her hot tears against the skin of his neck and he relished them, needing to feel her emotions like a balm on his soul.

"I don't know what to do anymore," he confessed. "I'm supposed to be strong and I just feel so broken."

"You are strong," Bella sniffled, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "No matter what has happened or what happens from here on out. You are my rock and my strength."

He pulled her forward again, smashing his lips against hers. He needed her now like he needed oxygen. She kissed him back, equalling his need with her own.

"I need you," Emmett whispered against her lips, unable to pull away. "I need to feel you."

"I'm here," she said, pressing her lips against his. The kiss was not gentle. It was hard and full of need. Emmett's hands roamed her back and bottom, before he moved to grab her shirt and tug it up.

"Emma?" he asked desperately as he pulled away again.

"Your mom has her," Bella said, panting slightly. "She shouldn't need to eat for a couple of hours still."

Emmett simply nodded before kissing her again. He only broke the kiss to pull her shirt over her head. "I love you," he said, kissing at the exposed skin of her shoulders. "I love you with everything I am."

"Oh god," Bella moaned. "I love you Emmett. So much. So much!"

She pulled his t-shirt off, tossing it into the pile that hers had started. She leaned down and kissed the red puckered lines of his scar, worshipping it before moving onto the smooth planes of his chest. It was her symbol to him that she loved every part of him. When she had first done it after they were married, he had been self-conscious of the marred flesh. She had assured him then that she loved every part of him, and that his scars just proved how strong he was. After that, every time she ran her fingers or lips along the puckered skin of the scar, he'd remember her assurances. And he had certainly needed them now.

"You are my everything," he said, tears appearing in his eyes once more.

"As are you," she replied, pulling away from his chest to kiss his cheeks, just under his eyes. He would never stop thanking God for her. She always knew exactly what he needed, like she was made just for him. They wriggled out of the remainder of their clothing, made more awkward by their constant need to touch. Once they were undressed, Emmett pulled her close again, kissing her deeply. She moved to straddle his legs, trapping his length between their bodies. He groaned as she writhed against him.

"Need you so much," he moaned into their kiss.

She lifted herself up as he positioned himself at her opening. Once she felt him where she wanted him, she lowered herself down slowly, taking him inside her. They both hissed in pleasure before returning to their kiss.

They moved together slowly but forcefully as their lips and tongues matched the rhythm of their bodies. On they were both covered in a thin sheen of sweat as their pace picked up. Emmett's hands moved to guide her against him. He could sense her climax approaching and wanted to fall over the edge with her.

As soon as he felt her quiver, as the first wave of pleasure crashed over her, he joined her, both of them crying out quietly into their still joined mouths. Both of their bodies collapsed together. Their lips still moved together, now more gently and slowly.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you," she said, relaxing into him. They moved to the bed a short time later, lying tangled together as Bella waited for Emmett to talk to her.

"I was such a fool," he sighed finally.

"You're taking the blame for this?" she asked.

"No, the blame here rests solely with Rosalie and Alice," he said. "They manipulated everyone around them to suit their needs."

"Wow," Bella said.

"I blame myself for having allowed it for so long before I left," he said.

"Tell me," Bella said.

Emmett explained how he had loved Rosalie. He went on to explain her games and manipulations, and how he had simply gone along with everything because it was easier than fighting it. He explained everything that Alice had said and how much he feared what Rosalie would do now since she was truly losing everything she had wanted.

"Why don't we get away for a few days?" Bella asked him. "I hear Canada is lovely this time of year."

"Canada?" Emmett asked her.

"Why not?" Bella giggled. "I've never been to Canada."

"Then let's go!" Emmett crowed happily. "If we hurry we might be able to get the ferry out of Port Angeles tonight."

Bella didn't know what excited her more, the chance to visit Canada or the ability to get out of Forks. When the couple was redressed and downstairs, nobody was there except for Emily and Embry, with little Emma. When Bella and Emmett explained their idea to leave town for a time, they quickly agreed to drive them to the ferry. Emmett helped Bella and Emma into the back seat, and quickly refused his mother's offer to sit in the front seat to climb in with them. He needed both of them close.

Within moments they were on the road, having only left a note for the Cullens, since they were all otherwise occupied. The first fifteen minutes of the hour long drive to Port Angeles was only filled with basic chatter; what exciting things there was to do in Victoria, places they had to eat and plans for dinner when they returned to Forks. When that topic seemed to have run it's course, silence descended over the car.

"Where was everybody else?" Emmett asked finally broaching the huge pink elephant in the car.

Emily sighed and rubbed her hand over her face. Embry took one of his hand's from the steering wheel to take her hand in his, squeezing it affectionately.

"As soon as you went upstairs, Esme excused herself from the table to speak to Alice," Emily said sadly. "She was only gone for a few minutes when she called me to join her. I left Emma with Angela. When I arrived, Esme was a mess and I hurried to hug her. She clutched me and sobbed. I stared at Alice, who was sitting on the piano bench sobbing herself. As soon as Esme regained some composure she told Alice that she needed to tell me what she had done. Emmett, you have to believe me, I had no idea that they had done any of that. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am that I bought into their lies and deception. I should have seen through everything but I needed something to hold onto. I wanted to believe that you had a future with Rosalie so much, not because of who Rose was... but because I was so terrified that you didn't have a future, that you wouldn't be home at all." Emily sobbed after her confession. She couldn't believe that she had been such a fool.

"I guess I get that," Emmett said after a time. He was clinging to Bella's hand intently. "But I still cannot get over the way you attacked my wife and daughter. Those words... Those words, Ma, they echo in my brain every time I close my eyes. The horrible sick feeling I had while I curled my body around them to try to protect them from everyone... It just doesn't go away, and no matter how many times you apologize. No matter how you treat them now... I just can't forget."

"I know," Emily sobbed. "I wish I could take it back. I wish I would have turned Rosalie away the first time she approached me after she broke up with Royce... I wish more than anything that I could change that, but I can't."

"I don't know what to do anymore," Emmett sighed. "I just know that I need this time away and hopefully I will come back with some answers."

"I don't want you to go," Emily whispered.

"I can't stay," Emmett said. "There is nothing here anymore. I don't want to raise my daughter or any future children in this hateful place. I just want a place where my family can be happy. I don't think we can do that in Forks anymore."

"I want you to be happy," Emily cried. "I want that for all of you."

"We may be able to help, Son," Embry said. "We'll talk when you get back. You mom and I are going to help make this right."

"I don't even know how that's possible anymore," Emmett said to his father. "But I will listen to what you have to say."

"Thank you, Son," Embry said.

They pulled up to the port without any further words. Emma was awake and ready to eat by the time Emmett bought their tickets. Emily clung to them as she said goodbye, praying silently that they could do something to keep Emmett, Bella and Emma close.


	34. Fallout Part 2

**Sorry for the long delay! Between work, illness, and an unexpected visit from my 90 year old grandfather; time has been extremely limited. I have three chapters ready to go so you will get one a day for the next three days at least. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and readers. **

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Esme Cullen was devastated. Her own daughter had confessed to using her to help Rosalie gain Emily's approval. The more Alice spoke, the more Esme struggled. In fact, if it hadn't been for Emily McCarty, Esme is sure she would have never survived her daughter's entire confession. When it was done, Esme cried onto her friend's shoulder as Emily did all she could to comfort her friend.

"Please Momma," Alice begged. "I need to know that it's going to be okay."

"I don't know that it is Mary Alice," Esme said, looking at her daughter. "You've... you've done so much damage..."

"Please Momma," Alice sobbed. "I can fix it, I know I can!"

"Can you?" Esme asked her. "Can you take back all the lies and deceit? Can you make it so my own daughter did not rip my heart from my chest and smash it into a million pieces?"

"Momma," Alice sobbed. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought..."

"You thought you would get your own way!" Esme said. "You manipulated and lied to get your way. And this is the outcome."

"I'm sorry," Alice cried. "What can I do to make it better?"

"Leave," Esme said.

"Momma?" Alice asked.

"I can't look at you now," Esme said, turning away. "You are my daughter and I will always love you but I don't like you right now. I don't like you at all."

Alice bit back another sob and looked at her mother's back. Alice never believed that she would see a day when her mother would turn her back on her. Esme's love and compassion were well known in all of Forks and the realization that she had managed to break that hurt her deeply. For the first time Alice truly realized that she was responsible for the mess around her. Jasper, her mother, Emmett... everyone else. It was her doing, not Rosalie, her.

She walked slowly from the room into the dining room where everyone else still was. She looked at everyone cautiously but nobody looked at her.

"Edward?" she asked tentatively. Her brother, her twin brother, had always been there to support her.

"No Alice," Edward growled, standing up from the table and walking out of the room. Angela placed Emma in Embry's arms and followed him, not even looking at Alice.

"Daddy?" Alice cried.

"I'm going to see your mother," he replied, not even looking at her. "If you told her even half of what I heard from your husband she is going to need me."

"Jasper?" Alice asked.

"I'll drop you off at home Alice," he said coldly.

"You aren't coming home with me?" she asked.

"I need time," he responded.

"I understand," she replied.

"Embry," she said quietly. He looked up at her. His usually calm and serene expression anything but. "For what it's worth I'm sorry..."

He nodded but said nothing. Jasper headed for the door, not even waiting for Alice. She followed slowly, looking around at her childhood home. Pictures of happier times adorned all the walls, and Alice stopped to touch her family's smiling faces, wondering how she had gone all wrong. She walked out the front door, knowing that nothing would ever be the same again. Jasper was sitting in the truck waiting with the engine running. He had always opened her door and helped her into the car, but he didn't even look at her now. She got in and moved to fasten her seatbelt, another thing that Jasper had helped with since she was pregnant. He waited for the click and pulled out right away. Alice's heart broke as she watched the scenery pass. Soon they were in front of their house, though Jasper didn't even pull into the driveway.

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered, as she unbuckled herself. "I know you don't believe me right now, but I have to say it anyways. I love you Jasper. I have since I was a little girl. I never meant to hurt anyone, and I know that I did... Take all the time that you need. I'll wait for you. I'll even try to be patient."

She stepped out of the car and walked up to the front door letting herself into the cold dark house, dropping to her knees and sobbing as soon as the door was closed. Jasper had already driven away.

Emily hadn't been as surprised by Alice's confession as she would have been the day before. Her conversation with Embry as they drove to and from Port Angeles had been more than eye-opening. Embry was an extremely analytical man. Not much went unnoticed by him. At the same time, he was never one to rush to judgement. It was only after the proverbial shit hit the fan that he took time to put all the puzzle pieces together, and when he added them up, he knew Rosalie had been playing them. He explained his theory to Emily as they drove to Port Angeles, and she listened. By the time they returned to the Cullen's that night, they had a plan in place to remove Rosalie from their lives; the opinions of the 'good' residents of Forks be damned. Alice's confessions only confirmed Embry's suspicions. He couldn't help but to feel bad for Carlisle and Esme.

Edward reeled at his sister's involvement in everything. Both of his best friends were shattered, his father cried, and he knew that his mother would be even worse. So many emotions swirled through him he could barely stand. Anger, hurt, confusion, sadness, complete and utter devastation; he felt like he was drowning under the weight of them all. He wanted to run. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to fix things, but knew there was nothing he could do. Just when he reached the end of his rope, Angela's arms wound themselves around his waist. He breathed in her scent and wrapped his arms around her too, accepting her calming embrace. They stood like that for an indefinite time period before Angela piped up, "And I thought my family dinners were awkward!"


	35. Rosalie and Alice

**_Sorry for the long delay. Life is so chaotic right now that I won't make any promises on when I can post next. All I can say is that the drama in my fanfiction stories has NOTHING on my real life drama. _**

_**Enjoy a little Rose and Alice drama.**_

Emmett and Bella couldn't have left Forks, and let's face it, the whole country at a better time. The fallout at the Cullen house, though all encompassing for those that lived it, was only a small part of it. All of Forks was atwitter about Rosalie and Emmett, and everybody had an opinion.

Some people were firmly on Team Rosalie. The girl had waited at home for her soldier for six years only to have him come home with a wife and child in tow.

Other people were on Team Emmett, and by default Team Bella and Emma too, especially after everyone started to hear about Emmett's outburst in the grocery store. A lot of things started making more sense, and Rosalie's behavior was called more and more into question. The people of Forks hadn't forgotten that Rosalie had been engaged to Royce King, who they remembered from his high school rivalry with Emmett, they had just figured if Embry and Emily, and in their minds Emmett, had put it behind them that they should too. Now they were hearing that Emmett hadn't forgiven her for her 'betrayal', they rescinded their forgiveness as well.

The Cullens, the McCartys, Jasper and Angela were all reeling from the shocking revelations that had been shared by Alice Whitlock. But none of them were feeling the sting quite like Alice Whitlock.

When Alice finally got herself off the floor she wandered her own house aimlessly. She looked at the pictures that were scattered around the walls. They all depicted the happiest moments of her life. First day of high school, first high school dance, homecoming... All of them included her and the four most important people in her world. Jasper, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett. Now three of those four hated her. Jackson nudged her firmly from his comfortable place in utero and the tears that had stalled for a time were back full force. Was her happily ever after over? She had only wanted Rosalie and Emmett to feel the same joy that she and Jasper did. She wanted desperately to make things better for everyone, especially her son, but she didn't know how. She sat in the living room in the dark, unable to bear turning on the lights. It was after midnight when she heard her cell phone ring and she rushed into the kitchen to grab it from where she had forgotten it before her confession to Jasper, praying that he was calling her.

"Hello?" she said, hopefully.

"It's about time," Rosalie snapped. "I tried to call you hours ago!"

"Hey Rose," Alice sighed.

"I've been trying to get ahold of you for hours!" Rose whined. "I need you."

Alice knew she should hang up the phone and tell Rosalie to shove it, but she couldn't. Everyone else had turned their backs on her, but Rose was still her friend.

"What do you need Rose?" Alice asked.

"I need to talk to you. Can you get away from Japer for a little while?" Rose asked her. =

"Jasper isn't home tonight," Alice said, noticing the warble in her voice as she said it. Rosalie didn't even notice it, simply accepting Alice's words.

"Okay," Rose said. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

Alice flipped on a few lights and went up to her bedroom to slip on one of Jasper's T-shirts and some yoga pants. She did her business in the bathroom and then washed her face, arriving back downstairs when Rosalie's car pulled into the driveway. Alice was anxious for Rosalie to get inside. She needed Rose's support now and hoped that her friend would let her cry on her shoulder as well. She wasn't sure how Rose would take the fact that she had told everyone everything that had happened but she wanted someone to hug her and tell her that everything would be okay. She needn't have worried. Rosalie didn't even spare Alice a second glance, other than to comment on her attire, as she started to share her desperate plan.

"Alice," she said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but those clothes make you look shittacular."

"Sorry Rose," Alice responded. "It's been a horrib..."

"We have so much work to do," Rosalie said, interrupting her. "I have a fool proof plan that will make Emmett's little wife look like a vindictive, mean spirited little shrew and guarantee my place in Forks."

"Rose," Alice said as her friend. "Maybe you should just move on. I mean, now that everyone knows you aren't Emmett's girl anymore..."

"I will always be Emmett's girl," Rosalie snarled. "That house, the family, and you guys... I deserve that. Not her! Not little miss goody two shoes."

"She really seems nice..." Alice said.

"She seems nice?" Rosalie gasped, appalled that Alice could have such an opinion. "When did you spend any time with this little miss nice?"

"Tonight," Alice replied.

"So you participated in the little farce of a family dinner?" Rosalie asked angrily.

"They're my parents," Alice replied. "Of course I had to go."

"And I guess Bella is your new BFF now?" Rosalie sneered.

"No," Alice replied. "I don't think that will ever happen. Besides I think Angela is going to fill that spot."

"Angela?" Rosalie asked, surprised. "You mean Edward's snotty little fuckbuddy?"

"Edward's soon-to-be fiancee," Alice replied, defending the girl.

"He's too good for her," Rosalie snorted. "Seriously, she is white trash personified!"

"Oh," Alice said, not understanding why Rosalie had so much hate for a woman that she had only met once. She did an internal head shake. A week ago, she probably would have agreed with Rosalie and joined in adding something terrible and snotty that would add insult to injury.

"Really Alice?" Rosalie huffed. "She is awful. I mean she probably grew up in a trailer park with Bertha and Big Al as her parents. Thank God I don't have to be related to her. I feel sorry for you. At least you can only hope that she and Eddie don't procreate."

"I guess," Alice said. She knew Angela's family situation, not that she was willing to share it with Rosalie at this point. She also knew that Angela wasn't a bad person, and she had always hoped that Edward and Angela would move closer so she could get close to her future sister-in-law.

"Alice!" Rosalie huffed, not liking the fact that Alice wasn't joining in.

"Sorry," Alice shrugged. "I guess I'm tired."

"Then let me get right to the point," Rosalie said. "So here's the plan. You and I are going to go shopping in Port Angeles tomorrow, getting us out of Forks and giving us an air tight alibi. While we are there, someone will break into my house and smash the pictures of Emmett and I, and spray paint the walls with hateful and possessive words. I'll have no choice but to call the police, of course, fearing for my safety and all. Since Bella is the only person who would have motive to do something like that, she'll be blamed. I'll play the innocent victim, but refuse to press charges against her. Bella will be run out of town and I'll have the house, and my family back."

"Rose," Alice said, planning to caution her friend about her plan.

"It's perfect," Rosalie said happily. "And you don't have to do much. You are just going to provide the alibi and you'll have to put the spray paint in a place where Bella would have access to."

"Rose," Alice said. "It's too much."

"No!" Rosalie said, glaring at her. "It's perfect!"

"This won't only hurt Bella," Alice said. "Emmett will be hurt too. And what about the baby?"

"Emmett deserves to be hurt," Rosalie snarled.

"I thought you loved him," Alice said.

"I do," Rosalie said with a shrug. "He just needs to pay for not loving me."

"Still," Alice said. "There has to be another way..."

"No," Rosalie said forcefully. "This is the way it is going to be."

Alice was torn. She knew that this was all wrong but she couldn't find it in herself to speak up any more. Rosalie Hale was all she had and turning her away meant that she'd have nobody.

"Who is going to break in to your house?" Alice asked, reluctantly.

"Me," Rosalie said, grinning proudly. "I'll think of it as therapeutic."

"So when is this hate campaign on Bella going to begin?" Alice asked, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Tomorrow, bright and early," Rosalie said. "Are you ready to go shopping?"

"I don't think I can," Alice sighed. Somehow shopping while her whole life was in shambles seemed completely wrong.

"What?" Rosalie scoffed. "Jasper isn't going to let you go?"

"Rose," Alice sighed.

"Look, Alice, we all know that Jasper would do anything you asked," Rosalie said. "Just tell him it will make you feel better and I'll pick you up at 10:00. Love ya!"

With that Rosalie was out the door, leaving Alice to stare after her in shock. Alice was even more torn than before. Rosalie was the only person that didn't hate her, but she knew if anyone found out that she had participated in Rose's plans she would lose any chance of reconciliation with Jasper and the rest of her family. But she also knew if she didn't participate, Rosalie would hate her, making her lose the only person she felt that she had left.

Alice never went to bed that night, pacing the floor anxiously. She tried calling Jasper's cell phone, which went straight to voice mail, over and over, never getting the courage to even leave a message.

It was almost 8:00 the next morning before Alice finally decided what to do. It took her almost the full two hours, and a lot of make-up, to get herself dressed and looking human. Even so, Rosalie scoffed at her haggard appearance.

"I thought women were supposed to glow when they were pregnant," Rosalie said, looking at Alice with disdain.

Alice just smiled tightly at her friend and got in the car, before she could change her mind again. Rosalie drove out of Forks smiling happily to herself, while Alice tried her best from the passenger seat. She clutched her phone to her, hoping with all she was that someone would call her and offer her some words of support. Finally, when they were ten minutes out of Port Angeles, her phone chirped with a message.

_I'll be home tonight to work things out. I love you. - J_

Tears sprung to her eyes as she responded. _Thank you. I love you too, so much._

"Jasper?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah," Alice responded.

"You are so into yourself and your happy life with Jasper, that you haven't even asked me how my plan has been going," Rosalie snarked. Alice knew that if she wanted a chance to work things out with her husband and her family that she had to get out of any involvement in this. She fiddled with her phone nervously as she forced herself to play along with Rose for the time being.

"What have you done so far?" Alice asked, trying to sound chipper.

"Oh Alice," Rosalie sighed dramatically. "I really outdid myself this time. It's going to be perfect. I took all the pictures off of the wall and smashed them making sure to deface some of the better ones. I used the spray paint that I bought at Walmart in Port Angeles to spray terrible words onto the walls and then I used a knife on anything else I could find in the house. It really was very therapeutic."

"Rose," Alice said. "That's a lot of damage. Bella could end up going to jail."

"Even better!" Rosalie said, causing Alice to gasp. "Then I can comfort poor Emmett and his little brat and I will truly be Forks royalty."

"Rose," Alice said. "It's too much. This isn't a game! Bella has a baby, she doesn't deserve to be put in jail for something she didn't do."

"Alice," Rosalie stated firmly. "Now is not the time to lose your head. Just two more steps and we are both home-free. I'll have Emmett and it'll be just as it was supposed to be."

"Emmett doesn't love you anymore," Alice said.

"He does," Rosalie said. "He just forgets. Look I've made some mistakes and so has he. We'll forgive each other and move on."

"Do you even love him anymore?" Alice asked.

"Of course I do!" Rosalie said. "Once I have him trained again, he'll be perfect for me and everyone will be happy again."

"Except for Bella," Alice sighed.

"She's only getting what she deserves for taking what was mine," Rosalie sneered.

Alice fought the urge to vomit as she looked over at her friend. The plan was already in motion and she knew that if she didn't do something the results would be catastrophic for everyone.


	36. Angela

**This chapter is incredibly short and sweet. I was going to add it as an outtake but I just love my Angela so much that I had to add it here. Tomorrow morning's chapter is titled, Meanwhile, In Canada. Then Monday we will be back to Rose and Alice. Sorry to make you all wait so long. :) Thanks for all the reviews. And yes, Rosalie has gone off the deep end and is swimming in the crazy pool. A lot of you have a major hate for Alice here, especially the fact that she waited until after Jasper's text to realize how wrong this all was. Watch how it plays out and see what you think.**

Esme Cullen paced her kitchen like a caged animal. She had always known that her only daughter had known of Rosalie's actions, but to find that she had participated... that she had used her was simply too much to comprehend. She felt like her world was imploding and she didn't know what to do.

Carlisle and Edward had tried to help in their own ways, but they were completely lost when it came to female emotions. Hell, she didn't even know how to make heads or tails of everything that she was feeling.

"Hi Esme," Angela said, interrupting her thought process.

"Hello Angela," Esme said, smiling at her future daughter-in-law.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"You name the emotion and I've probably felt it in the last sixteen hours," Esme said.

"Pride?" Angela asked.

"Pride?" Esme asked her, wondering where this usually intuitive girl pulled that one from.

"Yeah," Angela said, hopping up on the counter and helping her self to one of the muffins Esme had made. "Has pride been one of the emotions you felt?"

Esme thought for a moment before looking up at Angela. "No," she sighed. "Pride has definitely not been one of my emotions."

"It should be," Angela replied, taking a bite of her muffin.

"How do you figure that?" Esme asked.

"Look," Angela said, after she finished her bite. "Alice made some horrific choices. I get that. And maybe it is because I can be a lot more emotionally disconnected than the rest of you about the whole situation but I think you should be a little proud of her for what she did last night."

"How do you figure that?" Esme asked.

"She could have tried to bury her involvement. She could have lied, or covered up a lot of things... but she didn't. She not only realized that she was wrong but she did the only thing she could to try to make it right. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be hurt. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be angry or feel any other emotion that you feel. But I am saying that pride should be one of those emotions because for all her wrong actions, Alice did what she could to make it right."

Esme was speechless and Angela smiled at her tentatively, before hoping off the counter and heading off to find Edward. She hated that everyone was hurting, even Alice, who she had very little in common with.

"Hey," she said to Edward, as she walked into his childhood bedroom. He was laying back on the bed with his eyes closed listening to music. His musical choices always told her about his mood.

He opened his eyes and smiled at her softly. "Sorry about this weekend," he sighed. "I knew it wasn't going to be sunshine and rainbows, but I didn't expect this much drama."

"S'okay," Angela replied, plopping down on the bed next to him. "I know how you can make it up to me."

"Really?" Edward laughed. "And how is that?"

"Take me to your meadow again," she replied. "It isn't raining."

"I told you that the next time I took you there that I would put a ring n your finger," Edward all but growled.

"Sounds like a plan," Angela shrugged.

"Are you asking me to ask you to marry me?" Edward asked, smiling devilishly at Angela.

"Maybe," she replied, matching his smile.

"Are you getting impatient on me Dr. Weber?" Edward asked her.

"Cullen," she replied. "If I wait for you to find the perfect moment I won't be marrying you until I have gray hair."

"And we can't have that," he replied, feeling so much lighter than he had moments before.

"Definitely not," Angela replied.

"So," Edward said.

"So?" Angela replied.

"How long until you can be ready to go?" Edward asked.

"Whenever you are Cullen," she replied.

"I hope you like that," he said.

"What?" she replied.

"Cullen," he said. "Because that's a name I intend for you to have for a long long time."

"It'll do," Angela said smiling at him.

"Good," Edward replied. "Let's go!"


	37. Meanwhile in Canada

**Meanwhile... In Canada...**

"Wake up Sleeping Beauty," Emmett said, kissing his wife's naked shoulder.

"Do I have to?" Bella asked sleepily.

"I have breakfast," Emmett coaxed.

"I could eat," Bella said, actually opening her eyes.

"Emma is probably ready to eat too," Emmett said.

"What time is it?" Bella asked.

"Almost 9:00," he replied.

"What?" Bella asked. "She's usually ready to eat by 8:00."

"Well, she woke up at 7:50, but after a fresh diaper she was content so we went on a little adventure to find Mommy some breakfast. She's just starting to fuss now," he said.

"You took her out?" Bella asked, smiling at her husband.

"That's okay right?" he asked, suddenly unsure.

"It's perfect," she said, smiling at him.

"It took me a little while to figure this contraption out," Emmett said, pointing to the baby sling that was stretched across his torso, still containing their daughter.

"I think we may need to find one that fits you better," Bella said. "Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" Emmett asked.

"Because you are amazing," she replied.

"We all know that," Emmett said, winking playfully at his bride. "I don't need any reminders."

"I love you so much," Bella said.

"I know," Emmett said, seriously. "And I am in awe every day because of it."

"Em..." Bella started to interrupt.

"I love you Isabella McCarty. I love that you are beautiful and smart. I love that you have the biggest heart of anyone ever. I love that you took a chance on me, that you married me and waited for me while I went back to a war zone. I love that you gave me our beautiful daughter and that you are the best mother ever to her. I love that you agreed to follow me home and that even after it all went to hell that you were willing to give my family and friends a chance. I love that without me even saying a word, that you know what I need."

Tears slid down Bella's cheeks as she listened to her husband. The depth of emotion that he was sharing felt to her like his heart was on display for her and only her.

"I love that, even though my life is in the biggest turmoil ever, you are my safe haven. I love that I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not because you love me for who I am. I love..."

Emma's squawking cry interrupted her daddy's confession.

"She's hungry," Bella sniffled.

"Hey, Baby Girl," Emmett said to Emma as he pulled her out of the carrier. "Momma's here and she's going to feed you now."

Emma's face screwed up in a little mad pout before she wailed again.

"No more words, Daddy," Emmett said, speaking for Emma. "Just bring on the milk."

He pressed a kiss to her little forehead before passing her to Bella. Bella snuggled into Emma for a moment, removing her little sweater before laying on her side and bringing Emma to her breast.

"I think that is one of my favorite sights ever," Emmett said, smiling at his girls.

Bella blushed and smiled. "Come join us?" she asked. Emmett didn't need to be asked twice. He stripped off the baby carrier and undressed down to his boxer briefs, cuddling in behind his wife.

"Now this is perfect," Bella hummed contentedly as Emmett wrapped his arms around her, careful not to disturb Emma's meal. They were silent, content to be in their peaceful little bubble, the only sounds coming from Emma's sucking and swallowing.

"Definitely," Emmett said, his hand caressing Bella's naked hip.

They stayed like that cuddled tightly together until Emma pulled away from her mother, looking up with a precious milky smile. "Are you all done, Baby Girl?" Bella asked her, smiling down at her daughter.

"Why don't I burp her while you sort our breakfast out," Emmett suggested as he lifted himself up and peered over Bella's shoulder at the still grinning Emma.

"M'kay," Bella responded contentedly. Emmett scooped Emma up in his massive hands and pulled her against his bare chest and began patting her gently. Bella smiled happily at them, deciding that was her favorite sight. She moved from the bed reluctantly and picked up the bag that Emmett had brought in.

"There was a grocery store just down the street. They had great baked goods and fresh squeezed orange juice," he said.

"It's perfect," she said, happily pulling everything out of the bag. She grabbed two glasses from the bathroom and returned to bed, next to Emmett, pulling the blanket up to cover her body. Emmett laid Emma down on the bed between them as he took the glass of juice that his wife offered. Emma contentedly kicked her feet as her parents enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, chatting about what they wanted to do that day. With plans to do some sightseeing, the young parents took turns in the shower before heading out for the day.

The day was fantastic, bright and sunny. Emma spent most of the day, tucked against her mother's chest in the sling as they went from place to place. Emmett was so happy and carefree, a sight Bella had been missing since their arrival to Forks. At dinner, they found a quaint little Italian restaurant that seemed perfect for them. The owner greeted them at the door and proceeded to fuss over the 'young lovers and the adorable bambina' all evening. The food was fantastic, and Mario kept them in stitches the whole time.

They returned to the hotel and set Emma up in her bed for the night before getting down to business like young newlyweds should. Twice.

The next morning, Bella was up before Emmett, and after feeding Emma, she woke him for round three. Afterwards, they lay sated in each other's arms, talking about plans for the day.

"I guess we should call my parents to check in at some point," Emmett sighed.

"We should tell them what hotel we're at so they can reach us if necessary," Bella agreed.

"Is it wrong that I want one more day with my wife and daughter first?" Emmett asked.

"I guess not," Bella laughed.

"Then let's call them tomorrow," Emmett said happily.

"Tomorrow it is," Bella giggled.

They enjoyed their day fully, laughing and carefree once more, completely unaware of the shit-storm that had been unleashed in Forks, threatening to burst their happy little bubble.

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**_The drama in Forks is front and center next chapter. See you Saturday morning! (I have to work 22 hours today and tomorrow - YIPPEE!)_**


	38. Rosalie Gets What She Deserves, Maybe

_**Enjoy! Sorry for the Delay. See you later this week!**_

_**.**_

"Can you slow down please," Alice asked Rosalie as the long-legged blonde hurried down the street.

"You really need to walk faster, Alice," Rosalie sighed. "We have things we need to get done."

"I don't feel right about this plan," Alice said to her. "Bella doesn't deserve to be in this kind of trouble. She seems really sweet and she has a baby, Rose."

"Don't you go soft on me now!" Rosalie hissed. "I need you."

"Rose..." Alice started to fight.

"Alice, you're just tired. Why don't you sit at the coffee shop and I'll pick you up in an hour or so," Rosalie said, not giving Alice a chance to protest before she walked away from her friend.

Alice stood staring after Rosalie in shock. She was so torn about what to do. Rosalie had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. They had always been there for each other hadn't they? Alice clutched her phone in her hand and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she had made her decision, hoping she could live with the consequences.

Rosalie was happy to have left her pregnant side kick behind momentarily. Alice was getting whiny in her pregnant state. She puttered down the street, stopping in shops and talking happily with store keepers. They were her perfect alibi for the time when 'Bella' was vandalizing her home. She had seven shopping bags by the time she returned to the cafe, almost two hours later, ready to return to Forks with Alice to put her plan into action.

Unfortunately, Alice was nowhere to be seen. She huffed in annoyance and picked up her phone. She had one missed call from Alice and she huffed again as she dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail.

"Where are you?" Rosalie asked as soon as the tone sounded. "You were supposed to meet me here! Call me back ASAP!"

She ordered a cup of coffee and waited. Five minutes later, she tried again... with the same result.

"Alice, where are you?" Rosalie whined. "You know I hate waiting."

She didn't even wait for five minutes before she tried again.

"Alice, this isn't funny. I want to get back to Forks to give the police enough time to arrest Bella today," Rosalie huffed. "I want to see her in jail!"

She hung up and dialed again, because the first three attempts didn't convince her that Alice wasn't answering her for a reason. She left seven more messages before anger and stupidity took over.

"That's it Alice," Rosalie huffed. "You have kept me waiting for thirty minutes. I'm just going to have to do this without you and you are going to need to find your own way back to Forks."

Rosalie stood and made her way to her car, asking for a receipt from the parking attendant as she left. She had all her ducks in a row. She didn't even try to call Alice again during the drive to Forks, she jiust concentrated on what she was going to say when she called the police to report the break-in and vandalization of her home.

"Hello, Police," she said to the empty car. "This is Rosalie Hale. You have to come quick, my house was broken into and I'm so scared."

She tried multiple variations of her little speech, but deciding that the first one was definitely the best.

"I bet I can even turn on some real tears," she giggled to herself.

As she passed the welcome to Forks sign , she grinned. "By this time tomorrow they might as well crown me queen." She turned onto her street and then into her driveway. There were two cop cars in front of her house, and she got out of her car quickly, trying to figure out what to do now that her initial plan to call them had changed.

"Officer," she said, to the first man who stepped out of his car. "This is my house. What seems to be the problem?"

"We received a call over two hours ago from Embry and Emily McCarty telling us that they arrived here to visit and found the door locked. When they entered the home, owned by their son, to get some things for him they found it destroyed inside. Do you know anything about that?"

"Destroyed?" Rosalie asked, putting on her best shocked face. "What do you mean? This is my house. I live here."

"The house belongs to Emmett McCarty. Since he was away in Afghanistan and is currently out of the country, his parents have all power and rights to the property. I am aware that they had allowed you to live here until Emmett's return."

"Emmett and his family are out of the country right now," the officer said.

Rosalie started to panic. How could she blame Bella now?

"What happened?" she asked the officer.

"Pictures were smashed, walls were spray painted, furniture torn. It's a real mess. The person that did this obviously has a lot of rage issues."

"May I... may I see?" she asked.

"Of course, Ma'am," the officer said. "I'll be happy to accompany you inside."

He opened the door and Rosalie stepped inside. She turned on the waterworks and started to sniffle. "Oh goodness!" she cried. "My home... I worked so hard to make it perfect for Emmett and myself. Now it's gone."

She cried into her hands for effect and congratulated herself on a job well done. She may not be able to pin Bella for the crime but it never hurt to be a victim.

"Miss Hale?" the officer asked, waiting for the girl to stop her waterworks.

"Yes, Officer?" she said, looking up at him with her watery blue eyes. "You are under arrest for the destruction of property, and for mischief."

"I beg your pardon?" Rosalie said.

"We have every reason to believe that you are the culprit for these events. You'll have to come with me to the station. You have the right to remain quiet. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..."

Rosalie tuned out the rest of the officer's speech and tried to figure out how her perfect plan had gone so wrong.


	39. A Scheme to Catch the Schemer

_**Sorry ALL! I accidentally added tomorrow's chapter today missing this one completely. OOPS! Enjoy! And for those who already read tomorrow's chapter, you'll have a couple of days to wait for the new one. :o) I blame lack of sleep! On a plus side, that lack of sleep came from me finishing this story and getting some others cleaned up and ready to post! YAY!**_

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Alice dialed the number slowly, not certain what was going to happen.

"Hello, Alice," Esme said, sounding exhausted.

"Mama, I am in trouble and I really need your help," Alice said, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Esme asked. "Are you okay? Are you safe?"

"Rosalie has gone too far, Mama. I tried to stop her but it felt like she was my only friend. But then she really isn't acting like my friend at all and Mama, if I don't do something, Bella could be in real trouble."

"Where are you?" Esme asked.

"I'm in Port Angeles," she responded. "Rosalie drove me here as her alibi."

"Angela and Edward are in Port Angeles. I'm going to get them to pick you up and bring you home right away."

"No Mama," Alice cried. "Edward hates me."

"Edward is hurt and angry," Esme said. "He doesn't hate you."

"Now tell me what Rosalie has done now that she needs an alibi for," Esme said. "It's time that girl grows up and stops acting like a spoiled child."

Alice filled her mother in on Rosalie's plans. Esme was appalled. As soon as Alice had finished spilling all the details, Esme arranged for Edward to pick her up before calling Emily. It was time for Rosalie Hale to pay for her spoiled and selfish actions.

Edward and Angela were across town from Alice's location, but when they heard Esme's impassioned plea, they dropped what they were doing and made their way to her location. As soon as Edward pulled up in front of the coffee house he saw Alice looking more haggard than he had ever seen her.

"Ali?" he asked, when he got out of the car.

"Thank you for coming to the rescue," Alice said quietly. "I know you only came because Mom sent you."

"I came because you are my sister," Edward said, walking up to her. "I may be angry at you but I will always love you."

"Really?" Alice asked, tearing up.

"Always Ali," Edward said, holding his arms open for a hug.

Alice launched herself at her brother, as much as her pregnant self could, sobbing uncontrollably. After Edward calmed her they went over to the car, where Angela offered her own hug, before climbing into the back so Alice could have the front.

Alice filled Edward and Angela in on Rosalie's plot, and her own struggle between what was right and her life long friendship.

"That woman needs to be committed," Angela said. "The thing that sucks is that it is going to be your word against hers and that woman would be deadly when cornered."

"I might have recorded her little diatribe," Alice said cautiously. "I don't know how good the recording is."

"Ohhh, play it!" Angela said, handing Alice the cord to connect her phone to the stereo. Soon Rosalie's voice filled the car spilling her guts on all her devious plans.

"Thank God, Bella and Emmett are gone," Edward said. "They don't need even a whiff of that crazy!"

"They're gone?" Alice asked.

"Emmett needed a break after everything so he and Bella went to Victoria last night," he replied.

"That's perfect, Edward!" Alice cried. "Let's bring our tape to the police. I'm sure they'll know what to do."

"Let's call Mom first," Edward said. "Somehow I think she has plans in the works already."

Edward was right of course. As soon as Emily heard what Rosalie had done she and Embry went right over to Emmett's house. Rosalie had really done a number on the place. It was totaled. Emily called the police from the house and the chief came right over.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Rosalie Hale happened," Emily said with a huff.

"Why would she do that?" he asked. "They're all pictures of her."

"To frame my daughter-in-law," Emily said.

"And you're sure that your daughter-in-law didn't do it?" he asked.

"She and my son are in Canada," Emily said. "They went last night directly after dinner."

"So it had to be Rosalie," he said, causing Emily to nod. "You realize that with this much damage she will be facing jail time, right?"

"She's been playing us for a long time," Emily said. "She's really gone too far this time."

"The house is only owned by Emmett?" he asked.

"Yes," Emily said.

"What about all the furniture?" he asked.

"Rosalie chose it, but Embry and I paid for it. We wanted Emmett to have somewhere nice to come home to," Emily said.

"Are you willing to press charges?" he asked.

"Definitely," Embry answered. "I want Rosalie Hale out of our lives in no uncertain terms."

"I agree," Emily said, smiling at her husband.

The chief called another officer over to take pictures of the crime scene. Once it was all documented, he sent Emily and Embry home and then he and his junior officer sat outside to wait for Rosalie to return. While they were waiting, a call came from the station. Esme Cullen and her daughter, Alice Cullen Whitlock, had provided a taped confession of Rosalie admitting her guilt, while it may not be strictly legal in a court of law, it was enough to get warrants for Miss Hale's bank records, a search of her car and of her parent's home. Rosalie Hale had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. She was going down for sure.


	40. I Hope She Looks Good In Orange

**_For most of you, this is a new chapter. If you did see it yesterday when I posted it in error you got the old version of it as well, check the previous chapter to make sure you got that one. I blame long days at work, Christmas concerts, and 4 children hyped for Christmas. Thank you all so much for all the reviews! I have taken time to read them but unfortunately I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to respond. For those that are interested in the Alice/Jasper outtake, it is posted on it's own in Somewhere I Belong Outtakes. Enjoy a little police station drama._**

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"I don't understand why I've even been arrested," Rosalie said, cool as a cucumber. "Of course I don't need a lawyer. I haven't done anything wrong."

"So destroying your ex-boyfriend's house isn't wrong?" the junior officer, Mark, asked.

"I didn't do that," she said, coldly. "And besides, it's my house."

"Miss Hale, your name is not on the title to the house, and the agreement that you signed with Embry McCarty stated that you had to leave as soon as Emmett returned home if he didn't want you..."

"Emmett wants me!" she said. "He just didn't know I was still an option when he met that girl! In fact, I bet it was her who destroyed my house."

"You think Isabella McCarty destroyed your house?" he asked.

"Of course!" Rosalie said, congratulating herself. "It just makes sense. She was at my house yesterday. She was probably jealous of all the pictures of Emmett and me. I mean, I know it had to be intimidating to her to see our love in pictures like that."

"How would she get into your locked house?" he asked.

"My in-laws have keys," she said.

"In-laws?" he asked.

"Emily and Embry," she said, as though he were a little dense.

"You mean Bella's in-laws," he said.

"They were mine first," Rosalie growled. "I will always be first to them and them to me. They have to try to play nice with her because of the baby."

She crossed her arms and looked at the young officer deciding that she probably intimidated him with her beauty and that he would be putty in her hands.

"You should bring her in for questioning," Rosalie said, standing up as though her job was done.

"Sit down Miss Hale," he growled. "I am not finished with you."

"I gave you a suspect," she said. "Now I have to go home. I have to call Emily to ask her to help me clean up."

"Miss Hale, you aren't going anywhere," he said.

"Well this is just crazy," she said. "I'm being treated like a common criminal and I am the victim."

The officer took a few deep breaths. Delusional criminals were the hardest to deal with and Rosalie truly seemed to believe the garbage she was spewing.

"Mark," another officer said, sticking his head in the door.

"What's up?" he said turning away from his suspect.

"Chief says to leave Miss Hale here for a few moments," he said. "You need to come and see this."

Officer Mark stood to follow his comrade before Rosalie's shocked demands stopped him cold.

"You're just leaving me here so that you can go look at something stupid that your co-worker wants to show you. It's probably a you tube cat video?"

"Miss Hale," Mark said, completely stunned by the blonde's lack of grasp on the situation. "I am not going to look at a cat video, or any other video. I am going to talk to my co-worker, Officer Riley, who has been working your case. In fact, I think he just finished searching your car for evidence."

"My car?" Rosalie asked.

"Your car," Mark said.

"Well anything that is in my car could have been planted there," Rosalie said as though she were dismissing him.

"We'll keep that in mind," he said, rolling his eyes.

Rosalie decided that she liked the way this was going. She was sure that the officers were just being thorough. When they found that she wasn't even in Forks when the damage occurred, then she'd be released. She couldn't wait to see Emmett's face when he realized his sweet little wife was going to go to prison.

Time passed quite quickly for Rosalie while she waited for Officer Mark to return. She ran through all sorts of fantasies about how Bella would be arrested and how Emmett would be distraught and need help with the baby. She was certain her plan was flawless, even with this slight glitch.

"Miss Hale?" Chief Davies said, coming into the room. He was an older man, nearing retirement, and he had seen it all... or at least he had now after getting familiar with this case.

"Hello George," Rosalie said happily. Chief George Davies was a frequent customer at the McCarty garage and she knew him well. They always shared a smile and a friendly word. She knew he would happily help her out of this pickle. He had always loved her damsel in distress act.

"It's Chief Davies," he said with a sigh, sitting down across from her. He had two tape recorders in his hand and sat them on the table in front of him. "I hope you don't mind," he said. "We make it a point to record all conversations. Is that okay?"

"Of course," Rosalie said. "I have nothing to hide."

"Thank you," he said. He pressed a button on the first and started speaking. "This is Chief George Davies. I am interviewing Rosalie Lillian Hale on Wednesday..." He put today's date in the recorder and turned to look at Rosalie. "Please state your name for the records," he said.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale," she replied.

"Birthdate?" he asked.

She answered him quickly and he moved to the next question. "Do you know why we've brought you in?"

"My house was vandalized and I can only assume you arrested me to make sure I wasn't a suspect."

"By your house, you mean the house belonging to Emmett McCarty?" Chief Davies asked.

"Yes," Rosalie replied. "But I live there."

"So we were called to the residence today by Embry and Emily McCarty, who were concerned about the damage they found. In their statement, they have stated that the door was locked when they arrived and that they entered using a key. Does that sound right?"

"Of course," Rosalie said. "I always lock my doors."

"We found no signs of forced entry," Chief Davies continued.

"The person who I think is responsible, probably had access to my in-laws' keys."

"And who is this person?" he asked.

"That girl that Emmett brought back from Germany with him," Rosalie said.

"Isabella McCarty?" the chief asked.

"I guess that's her name," Rosalie said with a shrug.

"And why would you think it was her?"

"She was in my home yesterday," Rosalie said. "She saw all the pictures I had of Emmett and me. I bet she felt threatened by our relationship. I mean Emmett hadn't seen me in more than four years and she is quite plain compared to me."

"So you think she got a key from Emily and Embry McCarty, broke into your house and destroyed it?" he asked.

"I guess," Rosalie said.

"What if I said I had a different suspect," he said.

"Who?" Rosalie asked.

"You," he said. "And I have lots of evidence to support that."

"Evidence?" Rosalie asked. "What kind of evidence?"

"A bag containing the spray paint cans and a knife was recovered from your car," he said.

"I don't know how those got there," Rosalie said, acting shocked. "How could someone have planted it in my car?"

"Good question," the chief said. "Especially since you had the car parked in a patrolled lot in Port Angeles. The guard will testify to the fact that nobody but you approached the car after you left it this morning."

"Alice was there," Rosalie said. "Maybe she did it. She was with me so the guard probably wouldn't notice. I can't believe she would betray me like that!"

"Alice Whitlock?" the chief asked.

"Yes," Rosalie said. "She has been my best friend for so long. I can't believe that she would betray me."

"Let me play this for you," the chief said. "There are two voices on here. Can you please tell me whose voices I keep hearing?"

The chief pressed play and the sound of Rosalie and Alice's conversation filled the car. Rosalie blanched at the sound and she took a deep breath."

"It certainly sounds like me," Rosalie said when the recording was finished. "But I guarantee I know nothing about it."

"Listen to these," the chief said as he pressed play again. The voicemail messages that Rosalie left for Alice played loud and clear as well. Rosalie opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it.

"Now," the Chief said. "Even without a lawyer present for you, I can tell you a few things. The voice recording of your confession is not admissible in court. However, the phone messages are, as long as we have the recipients signed consent... which we do."

"Alice signed?" Rosalie asked incredulously.

"She did," he said. "You can't be too surprised, since you tried to frame her for leaving evidence in your car."

"Well, the whole thing doesn't even matter," Rosalie said. "The house is mine, let's just call it redecorating."

"Actually Rosalie," he said. "It matters a great deal. The house and the majority of the contents belong to Emmett McCarty. Emily and Embry McCarty have filed charges on his behalf. Then there is the little matter of you trying to have Isabella McCarty blamed for the crime."

"I just wanted her to leave," Rosalie whine. "I know if Emmett had the chance he would leave her for me. He just didn't know that he had that option."

"Miss Hale," he said. "You are in a great deal of trouble here. You are facing serious jail time. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"I'm too pretty to go to jail," she said. "I need to go home."

"That won't be happening," the Chief said. "You are being remanded into custody until you can get in front of a judge in Port Angeles tomorrow morning."

"Remanded?" Rosalie asked. "Tonight you will be a guest of the Forks Jail. We have called in a female officer to complete your search and to help you into jail issued clothes."

He clicked the tape deck off and looked sadly at the blonde across from him.

"You get one phone call," he said. "Who would you like to contact?"

"I don't know," Rosalie said sadly. The house of cards that she had built had all come tumbling down and she had no idea where to go from here.

.

.

_**For those who read yesterday's version, what do you think of the change? And for those who didn't, what do you think of Rosalie now?  
**_


	41. Emily and Embry

_**Sorry for the delay! Okay... this is a chapter originally entitled We Have A Plan, however I have changed it to EMILY AND EMBRY. This chapter also has a bonus for reviewers; an Alice/Jasper outtake (part 2). **_

_**For those unfamiliar with the Olympic Peninsula, I have mentioned two other cities; Port Townsend and Sequim (pronounced SKWIM). These are places that my family LOVES to visit. Sequim has a great zooish think called the Olympic Game Farm. We go every year. For some reason my kids seem to like Bison slobber. Who knew? We also love Port Townsend. Great shops and awesome people. Port Angeles and the beaches at La Push are also favorites of ours. We have been to Forks a few times too... oddly enough it has been sunny every time we have visited. Hiking in the Hoh Rainforest and Hurricane Ridge (Port Angeles) is a summer staple for us. The Port Angeles/Victoria ferry is a great trip, but we usually take the Oak Harbor/Port Townsend ferry so we can bring our car.**_

_**Anyways, now that I have shared my life story... on with the show.  
**_

_**Out takes will be sent out tomorrow.  
**_

_**:o)  
**_

When Emily McCarty finally laid down in her bed that night, she couldn't sleep. Her brain wouldn't shut off and even Embry's deep even breathing didn't help. She finally got up and made herself some tea and sat on the couch to contemplate everything that had happened.

Rosalie and Emmett had always seemed inevitable. He was only five years old the first time that he announced that he was going to marry her. After that, like peanut butter and jelly, they were always together.

Emmett was a decent student when he tried. However, he was usually too interested in a million other things to bother studying. He was a natural at anything mechanical, but was in no hurry to join his dad at the shop. He loved football, but had no real interest in playing college ball. When the rest of his classmates were making plans for their future, Emmett seemed to stagnate. He didn't want to go to college, had no interest in trade school and didn't want to work at the shop. Emily feared he planned to laze around and be a bum for the rest of his life.

Emmett had other plans.

She remembered the day he announced his plans like it was yesterday. He was joining the army. She cried and begged him to change his mind. The thought of her only son in a war zone terrified her. But Emmett would not be swayed. He was going no matter what. Rosalie was so angry that she refused to speak with him for days, but still Emmett stood strong in his conviction to fight for his country.

Eventually Embry and Emily gave their grudging approval, allowing Emmett to open up more about his choice. He wanted to make a difference. Rosalie was the lone hold out. Emmett had first confided in her that he planned on proposing to her before he left, giving her a ring that would lay out his intentions to return to her. Then as Rosalie made her disdain for all things military clear, he changed his mind. He was certain that she would wait for his return and then she wouldn't have to be engaged to a soldier.

Rosalie was a constant in her house for the first six months of Emmett's deployment. After that it started to wain some. She had more and more plans with friends, and a commitment to her various jobs. She returned some when it was close to Emmett's first enlistment, his only enlistment as far as anyone in his life was concerned. She pulled away completely just before Emmett reenlisted. But the fact that, a week later, she was dating Royce King made Emily's blood boil.

Royce was spoiled and self-important. He hated Emmett because of Emmett's natural talent and charisma and did whatever he could to tear him down. Rumors, vandalism, and petty comments designed to make him mad. Emmett hated him. So when Emily found out that Rosalie was dating him she approached the blonde. Rosalie had a million excuses, blaming Emmett, the town of Forks... anyone she could think of. Emily had been so disgusted that she had written the girl off completely, and focused on her son.

When she spoke to Emmett, he was steadfast in his refusal to even speak about Rosalie. Emily knew how much he loved her and prayed that something would change her mind before it was too late. When she heard of Rosalie's engagement, she thought that was it. And she was angry. She was so angry. She couldn't understand how Rosalie could just abandon her son.

Then the engagement was over.

Emily still avoided Rosalie, the hurt feelings that she felt on Emmett's behalf were still fresh. But Rosalie was always there. It was weeks before she could even look at her, and another month before she could speak more than a word or two to the girl. Finally, when she did speak to her, Rosalie knew just what to say; she had been hurt and lonely, she regretted her choice, she couldn't marry Royce because she loved Emmett.

It didn't happen at the first meeting, or even the second. But as the weeks and months passed, Emily found a kindred spirit in Rosalie. She was someone who loved and missed Emmett as she did. Nobody else really understood her pain, even though they tried. Sure, Esme's son was across the country, but he was in a nice safe university. He came home for holidays and called her frequently. She couldn't comprehend the magnitude of Emily's fears.

Rosalie did. At least she acted like she did. And the desperation and longing to know her son, her only child was safe, that he would have a future... She allowed things to happen that she shouldn't have. Rosalie was soon a part of her family again, and Emily relished in Rosalie's daydreams of Emmett's return; family dinners and parties, a wedding and then children, a perfect house... And Emily wanted that, she needed it. After Emmett was wounded it was worse.

No matter how minor everyone assured her it was, Emily had almost lost her son, and Rosalie's dreams of their future became almost real for her. She clung to them, needing that hope. Then, Esme called. Emmett was coming home. Emily called Rosalie in a panic and the two of them set to planning a welcome party that he would never forget.

And he never would forget, but for very different reasons than Emily had planned.

She wouldn't forget either.

The shock of Emmett introducing them to his wife and child was extreme. How could she have not known that he was married, that he had a child. Her thoughts had gone immediately to the fact that he had been conned, duped into accepting another man's child. It was the only reason that she could accept to explain why he hadn't told her. When she had had time to consider everything she felt sick. She didn't know how to make things right.

Bella had been more gracious than she could have ever hoped. Getting to know her, to know Emma had been an absolute joy. Emily could see how her son had fallen head over heels in love with the girl. She was beautiful, kind and smart. Emily could see how much she loved Emmett and Emma with every action and word.

But the damage had been done. Not only did she hurt Emmett and Bella, she caused the whole town to do the same. She made Emmett's hometown an unwelcome place for him and she didn't know how to fix it.

It was after 3:00am when Embry woke to find the space in bed next to him empty and cold. He got up and made his way quietly down to the living room.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked his wife as she sipped her third cup of tea.

"Just beating myself up," she said with a sigh. Embry crossed the floor and kissed her forehead before sitting next to her.

"That won't do any good you know," he said.

"I know... It's just..."

"Just what?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

"I made so many mistakes."

"You're human," he said. "Look, I know Emmett being gone was hard on you. It was hard on me too, and because of that I wasn't there for you the way I should have been. Maybe if I was Rosalie wouldn't have gotten a toe in the door."

"She would have," Emily sighed. "The girl has been a master manipulator as long as we have known her. I just... I was foolish enough to believe it was different with us."

"Well, hopefully she'll learn something from this," Embry said.

"Her parents didn't even post bail for her," Emily sighed. "Even when she needs them the most they are turning their backs on her again. I don't think she has anyone else to help her."

"She has burned too many bridges," Embry said. "Even Alice turned on her in the end."

"So, where do we go from here?" she asked. "Are we still going to talk to Bella and Emmett about the opportunity in Sequim?"

"Yeah, but I think I have another option too... but there are a lot of changes to be made on our part if we really consider it," he said.

"Are you going to share this with me?"

"We've spent enough time away from our son. I know that Forks isn't a place that he will ever return to live... he may not even want to visit after all this," he said.

"So what do you suggest?" she asked.

"I could finally sell the garage to Reg," Embry said.

"WHAT?" Emily asked.

"I know I said that I would never sell the garage. But I always believed it would be someplace that Emmett and I would run together one day. It won't ever be that now. What if we sold the houses and the garage and started somewhere new. Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend... I want to share this with my son. I want him close to home, not two hours away. I want to really get to know Bella too," he said.

"And keep your granddaughter close," Emily said knowingly.

"I didn't think I'd like being a grandpa. But I do, I really do. That little girl owns me and she doesn't even know it yet."

"Do you wish we'd had a daughter?" she asked.

"When I see Alice and Rosalie... NOT ON YOUR LIFE!" he answered, chuckling. "As the grandpa, I get all the fun parts of having a little girl and none of the stress!"

"You just wait Gramps!" Emily chuckled. "You'll be dressed in crowns and feather boas the second that little girl invites you for tea."

"You think she'll mind all the dirt under my nails?" he asked, looking at his nails as though inspecting the finest manicure.

Emily laughed at him and leaned against him. "So we sell?"

"It's up to you," he said. "I know you love your house..."

"I love my son more," Emily said, squeezing his hand. "I'm all in if you are."

"We'll talk to the kids when they get home," he said. "For now, let's try to get some sleep. Tomorrow promises to be a long day."


	42. Phone Calls Home

_**Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday. I had hoped that my life would slow down some after the 25th but that isn't happening, if anything it is getting busier! Thank you so much for your reviews last chapter. I finally got a chance to read and respond so I hope you all enjoyed the Alice/Jasper second out take. It will be published in my out takes by Monday for those who read and review as guests.**_

_**This Chapter is finally back to Emmett and Bella. You aren't going to see a lot of reaction to the Rosalie situation here but it will come before the epilogue. 4 chapters to go!  
**_

_**Enjoy!  
**_

After two blissful days in Victoria, Emmett and Bella knew it was finally time to call home. Emmett woke up early and took Emma out again to forage for some breakfast. Bella used the time alone to enjoy a bubble bath in the small hotel bathtub. When they returned the little family snuggled onto the bed to enjoy breakfast all together, meaning Emmett insisted on feeding Bella while Emma nursed contentedly. After breakfast, Bella leaned against Emmett's chest as Emma laid on the bed next to them, kicking her little legs happily and smiling happily at her dad who was making funny faces at her. It was perfect.

But like most instances of perfection, reality was clawing it's way back in.

"It's time isn't it?" Emmett asked with a sigh.

"I suppose it is," Bella said, turning over to kiss his chest.

"We should call Charlie too," he said, looking sad. They hadn't called her father since they had first arrived in Seattle, before the mess in Forks. They had continually postponed calling him in Forks for different reasons. Bella simply didn't want to stress him out. She knew that he would worry about all the stress and drama, and that there was nothing he could do to help stuck so far away. Emmett's reasons were a little more selfish, though still in the same vein. He respected Charlie, loved him even, and he didn't want to disappoint him. The promise that he had made to Charlie, to look after his girls... well, in his mind he had failed miserably.

"Who should we call first?" Bella asked.

Emmett contemplated the question. His memories of Charlie and Germany were all happy, and while he knew that Charlie would be none too pleased with all the drama that had occurred, Emmett felt safer calling him rather than his own parents. He was still struggling with everything that had happened with Emily the day he arrived in Forks. Hurting the person that he loved more than life itself... as much as he tried, he couldn't forget that. And Embry... though he hadn't truly said any of the vicious nasty thing that Emily had, his inaction spoke just as loudly.

"He won't be happy with me when we tell him about what happened in Forks," Emmett sighed. Not telling him wasn't even an option for Emmett, yet the thought of talking to Charlie, to her father, about all that had happened to Bella and Emma since they left Germany made him break out in a cold sweat.

"I love you," Bella said, trying to soothe her husband. "Emmett, I know that if you had had any idea that people wouldn't have accepted us the way you expected them to, that you would have done things differently."

"I just wish... I should have told her about you, about us, from the start."

"If wishes were horses," Bella said, looking into his eyes. "We can't change the past. It is what it is. I wish that none of that had happened. I wish that you could have gotten the homecoming you deserved. But you aren't to blame."

"I just don't understand," Emmett huffed. "How could she think I would ever get back with that woman?"

"I don't know," Bella answered honestly. "What would you have done if she had told you?" Bella knew that Emmett loved her. But there was a part of her that did measure herself to the blonde.

"I would have told my mother in no uncertain terms that I would never be with Rosalie again," Emmett growled. "I'll admit that Rosalie was important to me once. I loved her in a way... but never like I love you. You and our girl... I would do anything for you, not because I wouldn't like the consequences if I didn't, but because your happiness means more to me than my own. My feelings for Rose died a long time before you walked into my life. If I am honest with you, and myself, I think they were gone long before I even joined the army. I just couldn't acknowledge that fact until she gave me that last ultimatum."

"Last ultimatum?" Bella asked, sniffling at her husband's declaration.

"That's what life with Rose was," Emmett sighed. "One ultimatum after another. I didn't know the difference. I didn't know that life didn't have to be like that... Do this or I'll cry. You need to wear the pink tie so it will match. I want to go to this movie or I won;t speak to you... It was never ending."

"Emotional blackmail," Bella huffed.

"Precisely," Emmett said. "Every minute of every day was about keeping her from being angry. It really became a full time job."

"I bet," Bella said. "You know I would never do that, right? We are in this together. What you want I want..."

"I know," Emmett said, kissing her cheeks. "It's one of the million reasons that I love you. Are you ready to make those calls?"

"I guess," Bella said, leaning into him. They stayed in their happy bubble for a few more minutes before finally picking up the phone.

"Let's call Charlie first," Emmett said, feeling a knot in the pit of his stomach. "He's probably missing his girls like crazy, and I know you miss him too."

Bella smiled at her husband as she picked up the phone and started the complicated dialing needed to use the calling card that they had bought. Charlie picked up on the second ring.

"Bella?" he asked, noting the long distance number that called.

"Hi Daddy," Bella said happily. She had missed her father more than she realized and hearing his voice almost brought her to tears. She blinked them away and clutched the phone in her hand tightly. Emmett watched sadly as his wife reconnected with her father, feeling like a heel for avoiding the call for as long as they did.

"How are my girls?" Charlie asked. "How is Spoons?"

"It's Forks, Daddy," Bella laughed, feeling lighter after hearing her father's lame joke. "We're good... but Forks... Well, I don't think that's the place for us though."

"What happened?" Charlie asked, his jovial tone from moments ago failing once he heard that things may not be sunshine and roses for her. Bella had been so gung-ho to have the perfect life in Emmett's hometown that he knew that it would have taken something catastrophic to make her change her mind.

"There was some drama with Emmett's ex," Bella said slowly, trying to sugar coat some of the pain that she had been through, not only for Emmett's sake but also for Charlie's, knowing he couldn't do anything from so far away.

"What kind of drama?" he growled.

"Well... she had pretty much everyone convinced that she was waiting for Emmett's return, even though she was the one that ended the relationship and had been engaged to someone else."

"What's been happening Isabella?" he asked sternly. "What does Emmett's family have to say about everything."

"There was a little confusion at first," Bella said. "They are wonderful now. Emily and Embry both adore Emma."

"And what about you?" he asked. "Have they treated you well?"

"We're good now," Bella replied.

"Isabella," Charlie growled.

"Daddy," she sighed. "It was bad at first... really bad, but Emmett has been awesome. He stood up to his family and everyone else."

"What kind of hell is this place?" Charlie growled.

"I don't know, Daddy," Bella said. "But all I do know is that Emma and I are good. Emmett is taking such good care of us."

"He'd better," Charlie growled again.

"Daddy!" Bella giggled, making Emmett smile. Any time she was happy was a good time.

"So are you staying there?" Charlie asked.

"We're talking about where we want to go," Bella said. "I don't think we'll stay there."

"Where are you now?" Charlie asked.

"On vacation in Canada," Bella said, smiling at her husband.

"And he's taking care of you? You're happy? You know you could always come back here... There is always a place for you wherever I am."

"Thank you, Daddy," Bella said. "We're really good and I've made some great friends."

"Good," Charlie said, feeling more at ease.

"I'm going to go now, Daddy," Bella said. "We'll call again next week... or sooner if we make any concrete decisions before then."

"Give Emma a kiss from her grandpa," Charlie said. "Tell Emmett to keep taking good care of you guys. I love you Bells."

"I love you too, Daddy," Bella said.

They ended the call and Emmett held her in his arms, content to just hold her for a little bit. As Emma drifted off to sleep between them, Emmett decided he'd call down to Forks. His dad answered the phone, which had NEVER happened before. He filled his son in on all the goings on in Forks. Emmett wanted to vomit. Bella just held his hand as she heard the gist of the conversation.

"We're not coming back, Dad," Emmett said finally. "I don't care if the psycho is in jail or not. I'm sure the town is ready to welcome us with open arms now that Rosalie has been locked up, but they can shove it. I won't raise my child there. Not after this."

"I know, Son," Embry said. "We don't want to be here either."

"What?" Emmett asked.

"Too many ugly memories," Embry said.

"But the garage?" Emmett said.

"Was a dream I wanted to share with you," Embry said. "I can open another garage. I don't have another son."

"Dad," Emmett said, getting choked up.

"Reg is going to buy the shop," Embry said, not feeling even the slightest bit of remorse for selling.

"Where will we go from here then?" Emmett said, still stunned.

"We have some other opportunities," Embry said.

"Like?" Emmett asked.

"You know the big auto repair shop in Sequim," Embry said.

"You mean Old Man Connor's place?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah," Embry said. "He's getting ready to retire and was thinking of selling."

"And you'd buy it?" Emmett asked still shocked from everything that was happening.

"If my son was interested in working there with me. Plus you are closer to PA if you wanted to actually get your certification at some point."

"Let me talk to Bella about all this, Dad. I won't make any decisions without her," Emmett said.

"As it should be, Son," Embry said.

"Mom is okay with all this?" Emmett asked. "I know she loves her house... and her garden."

"Mom is good. She loves you more than any of that," Embry chuckled. "Plus she is rather smitten with your wife and daughter too."

Emmett ended the call. He and Bella had a ton to think about. He knew nothing would happen over night, but he felt some degree of hope for the first time since all the Forks' craziness began. The young couple spent the rest of the morning in their room, really talking about what they wanted for their future.


	43. Is This What We Want?

_**So many wonderful reviews. Thank you millions. You inspire me to write with all the lovely words left in your reviews. All the remaining chapters are ready to go. Hopefully I can get on here every morning to update, I just need to find wifi from my phone to do so as I won't be near my computer for a few days. If I don't respond to my reviews, please know that I read them all and adore them.**_**_  
_**

Have you ever been given everything that you wished for, and suddenly felt unsure if that was really what you wanted?

That was how Emmett was feeling after he ended the call with his father. His father and mother were willing to give up everything that they had ever known for him, and yet he wasn't sure that it was the right thing.

"Talk to me," Bella begged after Emmett had been silent for fifteen minutes. Emma was sound asleep in her little cot and she focused solely on her husband.

"I'm sorry," Emmett said, looking down. He was failing his wife again, not letting her in and yet he didn't know how. He didn't know what to say.

"Emmett," she said. "Please tell me... I love you so much and I can see that you're hurting. I just want to help."

"I know," he said, sighing deeply.

"Then talk to me," she said.

"I feel like some spoiled brat," he said with a deep sigh. "My parents have offered everything I ever dreamed of and I don't know if that's what I want."

"You mean Sequim?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, running his hand over his short cropped hair. "I dreamed of this... sort of. I wanted this more than anything. I just knew my parents would love you and Emma... I just never thought that all that other stuff would happen..."

"We're okay," Bella said, smiling at him. "I'm not going grocery shopping in Forks any time soon, but other than that I'm good."

"Babe, Rosalie tried to frame you... She tried to have you arrested... taken away from me... from Emma!" he growled.

"And she failed," Bella said. "She only succeeded in showing people how truly messed up she is."

"But what if she gets out and tries again? What if it's worse?" he agonized. "Maybe we should just leave. Go to Texas or Florida... or Guam!"

"She's already lost, Em," Bella said. "The whole town has seen her downfall. Your parents, Alice, the Cullens... she has nobody to control. I mean, your dad said that her own parents aren't willing to help her."

"So she's desperate! But that's when she is most deadly," Emmett said. "That's when she will do her worst!"

"And she's behind bars. We can arrange for restraining orders if she gets out. But I think she has really played out her bag of tricks and has nothing left," Bella said.

"I don't know," Emmett said with a sigh. He didn't trust Rosalie one bit. Especially not with the newest stunt she pulled. She had nobody to blame but herself for her current predicament, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't try. Hell, she had tried to blame Alice, her last ally in all of the drama. He would drop it for now, but there was no way that he would allow Rosalie Hale anywhere near his wife or daughter, and he would do everything he could to keep her locked up for as long as possible. He stroked Bella's hair as they relaxed together.

"Ideal world," Bella said, interrupting the quiet that had surrounded them. She pulled herself up to look at him. "What do you want?"

"In an ideal world I want none of this bullshit to have ever happened," Emmett said with a sigh. "I want my parents to have been waiting for us at the airport. I want them to completely ignore the fact that they haven't seen me in almost five years because they are so anxious to meet you and get their hands on their granddaughter."

"You would have been chopped liver," Bella snorted. "I would have been too."

"Never to me," Emmett said, pulling her into his side again, needing her close.

"I love you," Bella said, kissing his chest.

"I don't even know a word to describe my love for you, Bella," Emmett said, holding her tightly. "You mean everything to me."

He pulled her face up to meet his in a gentle kiss. The kiss deepened until they were both panting for breath and Bella dropped her head to his chest again. She traced her finger across his abs, tracing the muscle with the tip of her finger causing them to tremble under her touch.

"If you don't know if you want to go to Sequim, then let's start with the things you do know," Bella said softly, still tracing along his muscles.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked, not really focusing on the problem at hand, just concentrating on the feel of her touch.

"This was something my mom used to do," Bella said, her eyes tearing up a little as she mentioned her mother. "She broke every big decision down into tiny pieces so that they didn't seem so daunting."

"Okay," Emmett said. "Show me how."

"So," Bella said, smiling up at him. "Let's start. You want to be with Emma and me, right?"

"Definitely," Emmett said, smiling at her.

"House or apartment?" Bella asked.

"House," Emmett said. "Definitely! I want a yard and nature..."

"Okay," Bella smiled. "We're getting somewhere! Okay big city or small town?"

"Small town," Emmett said, catching Bella's infectious excitement for the game.

"Office job, outdoor job, something else?" Bella asked.

"I need to do something with my hands," Emmett said, showing her his hands. "Even in the army I took courses so I could work on the cars over seas."

"So you want to work on cars?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," Emmett said.

"Close to family and friends or completely on our own?" Bella asked.

Emmett paused, really thinking about the options. "I don't want to be too far from everyone."

Bella smiled, happy that Emmett was able to really narrow down what he wanted.

"Now you said that you took a lot of courses in the army, will those translate into the civilian world?" Bella asked.

"Maybe," Emmett hedged. "I never really worried about any of that. I always thought I would work with my dad."

"You liked working with him?" Bella asked.

"Watching him work on a car is like watching an artist," Emmett said. "People would drive into the lot and he could diagnose things before they even stopped the car. He knew just from the sound of the engine what the problem was."

"Do you think we could be happy in Sequim?" Bella asked him.

Emmett paused again, thinking of the small town. He looked his wife in the eye and slowly started to smile at her. "I think so," he said finally. "I think I'd like to visit there first. To decide with you if we want that before my parents sell the garage and make the move. I don't want us to be stuck there if it's something we hate."

"So you want to visit Sequim?" Bella asked. "Check it out, just the three of us, before we talk to your parents?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling at her.

"You make pretty great decisions, Mr. McCarty," Bella said. He grabbed onto her and pulled her into his arms.

"I have another decision," he growled, rolling over and pinning her under him.

Bella squealed quietly, her eyes happily gazing up at her husband.

"And what decision is that?" she asked.

"I'm going to make love to my smart, beautiful, and talented wife wife right now, before I spend the day reminding her just how much I love her."

And that's just what he did.


	44. The First Step In Forever

Two days later the little family boarded the ferry to Port Angeles. They didn't tell anyone. The first stop once they arrived was finding a place to stay. Emmett did not want to stay in Forks again. They found a hotel and booked a room for the night. Then they made their way to the place where Emmett's military journey began. They were chalk full of information for them, giving them a printout of all the accreditation that Emmett had received for the courses he had taken. Then they brought it to the local technical college.

They were both pleasantly surprised to learn that Emmett was only two courses short of his mechanic certification for the state and Emmett quickly enrolled so he could make that happen. It made him feel better to know that no matter what happened with his father that he could use that trade to support his family.

Once they had done that, they looked through the newspaper and found a small apartment to rent in Port Angeles on a monthly basis. All furniture was provided except for the beds. They visited a local furniture shop next, securing a queen size bed to be delivered two days later. Then they returned to the hotel.

"I can't believe how much we got accomplished," Emmett said as he burped Emma.

"It just all came together so nicely," Bella sighed contentedly as she watched the two loves of her life.

"I'm excited to have a place of our own," Emmett said. "It certainly isn't what we want long term but until we make our final decision it is perfect."

"I agree," Bella sighed happily. "I can't wait to have a kitchen!"

Emmett smiled happily at her. Their life wasn't ideal at the moment. They had a court date with Rosalie looming and a future that was still up in the air but she found joy in the little things and made him do the same. The next day they went to a local car dealership that offered incentives to military families and came out the proud new owners of a slightly used Jeep Grand Cherokee. After Emma was carefully loaded into the back, Bella and Emmett hoped in the front for the short drive to Sequim.

They drove through the small town, looking at all the fields of lavender. City center was much larger than Forks, with multiple grocery options and plenty of stores and restaurants. It was also only 20 minutes from Port Angeles and only two hours from Seattle.

"I love it," Bella said as they stopped at a small diner for a late lunch.

"Me too," Emmett said. "So we want to try this then?"

"Yeah," Bella said, smiling widely.

"We'll contact a realtor soon," Emmett said.

"Can't we do it now?" Bella asked excitedly.

"We'd better talk to my dad first," Emmett laughed. "We should make sure everything with Old Man Connor's place is good first before we start buying a house here."

"I guess," Bella said, somewhat reluctantly. She was ready to get started on their future now. They returned to Port Angeles and made a stop at Walmart to buy some bedding and cleaning supplies which they stored in the Jeep. The next morning they checked out of the hotel and moved themselves into their little apartment. Bella washed the bedding and cleaned everything while Emma slept and Emmett helped the delivery guys with the bed, then made a trip out to get cell phones for both of them. Once everything was all set, they fed Emma and headed to Forks to get the rest of their things.

"You don't think that they'll be upset that we got our own place do you?" Bella asked.

"I'm sure that they understand why we don't want to be here," Emmett said. "Honestly I think my dad will be more miffed that I bought a car without him."

"I never thought of that," Bella said, biting her lip. She really didn't want to do anything to upset her in-laws.

"He'll get over it," Emmett said, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "And if he doesn't then that's his problem not ours. This is our life and we've made our decisions. Nobody is going to make me feel bad for them."

Bella smiled happily at him and rested her head back watching the scenery fly by. Once they arrived in Forks, they made their way to the garage first, assuming that Embry would be there. As soon as they drove into the lot, Embry was outside looking at the car. He didn't even know it was Emmett and Bella until his son stepped out of the car.

"You like it?" Emmett asked his dad.

"I'll tell you once you've popped the hood," Embry responded.

Emmett laughed but did as his father instructed while Bella hopped out and unbuckled Emma.

"You're here!" Emily squealed, running out of the office. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Emmett looked over happily as his mother dashed across the lot and pulled his wife and daughter into a hug. Once she released them, she began talking and cooing at Emma. Embry patted his son on the shoulder as he walked over to see his daughter-in-law and granddaughter as well. Emma had just woken up and was looking at her grandparents from the security of her mother's arms. As soon as Embry joined his wife making goo-goo faces at her, Emma let out her megawatt toothless grin, causing her grandparents to grin in delight and turn up the dial on their crazy antics.

Emmett laughed at them and shook his head. "Chopped liver," Bella mouthed to him, watching his face light up even more.

"I missed you too, Ma," Emmett said cheekily.

"I missed you too, Son," Emily said, pulling herself away from Emma to hug him. "Now where did you get the Jeep? Is it safe?"

Emmett laughed again.

"Well, what was your assessment, Dad?" Emmett asked.

"It looks pretty good, Son," Embry said. "Did you get a good deal?"

Emmett suggested that they all move inside before he filled them in on everything that had happened since they had arrived back from their short trip to Canada.

"We stopped at the recruiting office first," Emmett said.

"You did?" Emily asked, her hackles raised. The last time that he started a conversation like that he was gone for almost six years.

"I took a lot of courses in the service. I wanted to be able to help with everything over there so whenever I was stateside I took automotive classes."

"Instead of coming home?" Emily asked.

"I had no desire to be anywhere near here, Ma," Emmett said. "After what Rosalie did... I was angry for a long time. By the time I was ready to face everyone again, I was back in the desert. Then I met Bella..."

"So what about these courses?" Embry asked, getting the conversation back on track.

"It turns out that I only need two more courses to get my certification for the state. I enrolled in the technical school in PA to start immediately," Emmett said happily.

"In PA?" Emily asked. "It's a long commute from Forks."

"We aren't staying in Forks, Ma," Emmett growled. "In fact, the only reason I am here at all is to get whatever we can load into the Jeep and bring to our apartment."

"You rented an apartment?" Emily asked sadly. "I was hoping that you two would come and stay with us."

"I'm done with Forks, Ma," Emmett said. "You can visit us in PA as often as you'd like."

"You opened a can of worms there," Embry said as Emily launched into plans to spend time with Emma and Bella when Emmett was in school and a million other things.

The called the Cullens next and arranged to pick up their stuff and visit. Esme's reaction to their news was excellent. She was thrilled that they had found a place and that even after everything they were staying somewhat close. She had truly worried that Emmett would relocate them to somewhere near Timbuktu after all the drama they had experienced.

"How is Alice?" Bella asked her, surprising her.

"She's doing good," Esme said. "She started seeing a therapist. She and Jasper are working hard to make things work for them."

"And baby Jackson?" Bella asked.

"Will hopefully be here sometime next month. The doctor thinks she'll go early because she's so little," Esme said. "You aren't much bigger though, and you went full term."

"As long as he's healthy," Bella said.

"Exactly," Esme said. "Edward and Angela finally made it official. I don't think they're planning on a long engagement either."

"That's great," Bella said. "I'll have to get her phone number now that I actually have a phone here."

They visited for a little longer before Emmett packed everything from their room into the Jeep. "You can visit us any time," Bella said, hugging Esme before they left.

"You'd better believe I will!" Esme said.

When they returned to PA, Emily and Embry were waiting outside the apartment for them.

"When I said any time I didn't know you'd be here so quick," Emmett teased, knowing that they had planned to come tonight already with the stuff they had bought Emma and some of his clothes and things from before he left.

"Quit being cheeky and help your father with everything while I snuggle my granddaughter," Emily groused.

"Yes, Ma'am," Emmett cheeked, saluting his mother as if she were in the army.

"Cheeky," she admonished with a laugh, pulling Emma from Bella arms and smothering her chubby cheeks with kisses.

After everything was unloaded, Emmett and Embry spent the evening building. First there was a bouncy seat and a crib. And some saucer thing and a change table. Bella went through all the clothes, toys and linens that Emily had bought. It was obvious that the pile had grown since they last saw it in Forks.

"I was a little excited," Emily said, looking sheepishly at the large pile of stuff she had bought for Emma.

"I think the only thing we'll need is a stroller," Bella said, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Oh!" Emily said. "I could go buy..."

"Actually, Ma," Emmett said, sensing his wife's overwhelmed state. "I think we'll take care of that. The guys in my unit gave us some money for a stroller so we'll go pick one out."

"Wonderful!" Emily said.

After a meal of take-out, the last one for a while Bella swore vehemently, Emily and Embry made their way home and Bella, Emmett and Emma settled down for the night in their first real home together.

Their happily ever after was finally starting.


	45. Rosalie Has a Date With Destiny

**_Sorry for the long delay! Enjoy this chapter. The next will be up in approximately 12 hours. There are also two outtakes upcoming. One was going to be with this chapter but I'm adding it to tomorrow's instead. You can get in Rosalie's head a little in tomorrow's outtake. The next out take is an Alice/Jasper outtake. Enjoy the chapter, and remember that you only have to wait 12 hours for the next one... Don't hate me!_**

Bella called Angela the next morning, happy to be able to do something normal. She missed her girlfriends in Germany terribly and she adored Angela's spunky personality.

"Hello?" Angela answered, wondering what number was calling her phone.

"Hi Angela," Bella said. "It's Bella... Bella McCarty."

"BELLA!" Angela cheered. "I am so happy to hear from you. How was your trip? Did you guys have fun? How is Emma? You aren't back in Forks are you? If you need a place to stay you could always stay with Edward and I in Seattle... I mean the place isn't big but..."

"Whoa," Bella laughed. "That's a lot of questions all at once."

"Sorry," Angela laughed. "I've been up for 24 hours and I've had a lot of coffee."

"I remember that feeling," Bella said, sympathizing with her.

"I can't wait to get into private practice," Angela sighed. "Normal hours will be incredible! Hey, what number are you calling from?"

"My new cell phone," Bella responded happily.

"So I can call you?" Angela squealed. "O.M.G! I can't wait to add you to my contacts! Just a sec..." Bella heard tapping and beeping as Angela obviously entered her contact info while they were still on the phone. Bella smiled at Angela's anxiousness. With a little more fumbling, Angela was back. "Okay done! Now, did you guys hear all the drama that happened in Forks while you were gone?"

"We certainly heard some news," Bella said. "Most importantly, I heard that you have a rock on your left hand."

"I do," Angela squealed happily. "And I'm so glad we are finally official. I mean we have been talking about getting engaged and married for a while but then we just never did it, and then he finally just surprised me."

"Tell me how he proposed," Bella said, loving her friend's infectious joy.

Angela filled her in on Edward's romantic declaration and the aftermath. Bella listened intently, happy to hear how happy her new friend was. Edward had done everything right, even getting the blessing from both of Angela's dads.

After a discussion about the wedding that Angela and Edward were planning, they spoke about all the changes in Bella and Emmett's lives since they returned from Canada. Finally they got to Rosalie.

"I am telling you the girl is one card short of a full deck. She's truly certifiable. Mark my words," Angela said.

"I don't doubt it," Bella sighed. "Though I don't know what that means for all of us long term."

"Hopefully she'll do something stupid in court and end up locked up for a long long time," Angela said.

"I just want her out of my life. It's creepy to know that someone hates you so much for something that you had no control over," Bella said.

"Believe me," Angela said. "I'm glad that Edward has no creepy exes in his closet. His sister is loony enough for me."

"I wonder how much of Alice's crap is because of her friendship with Rosalie," Bella said. "That would be exhausting."

"No offense to Alice, but she had to have been somewhat mental to have been Rosalie's friend for so long," Angela said.

"From what everyone says, Rose has always been controlling. She was very used to getting her way." Bella said. "Maybe knowing that she couldn't win this one sent her off the deep end."

"I'm just glad that she's in jail. And once she is out you guys need a nice big restraining order," Angela said.

"Amen!" Bella said.

"Are you going to the trial?" Angela asked.

"I don't think so," Bella said. "I know Emma is still little but she doesn't need any more exposure to that level of crazy."

"Agreed!" Angela said. "Edward and I both have the day off for her trial tomorrow. I wouldn't mind staying at your place and watching Emma for you so you can be there with Emmett."

"You'd do that?" Bella asked.

"I love kids," Angela said. "I'll probably pop out a few myself, in a couple more years."

"Hate to break it to ya, Ang," Bella laughed. "They don't just pop out."

"I know," Angela said, sounding horrified, before continuing on dramatically. "I nearly fainted during my first maternity rounds. I mean the whole thing looks so much better on TV. I was sure I would never procreate after that, but then I check out my fuck-hot fiance and my ovaries go onto overload with the thought of popping out his little copper haired babies."

"Oh Angela," Bella laughed. "I know exactly what you mean."

"I know, right?" Angela said. "I mean you have a nice hunk of man-meat yourself. Are you going to pop out any more beautiful babies?"

"Definitely!" Bella said.

"I mean we have to, right?" Angela said. "We owe it to the population to make sure there are plenty of beautiful people in the future."

"It really is a public service," Bella laughed.

"Don't tell Edward!" Angela squealed. "I mean, if he thought baby-making was a public service my poor vajayjay would never get a break!"

"Oh God! TMI Angela!" Bella giggled.

"And seriously, the boy is packing! I mean I'm sure Emmett must be too..." Angela said.

"ANGELA!" Bella squeaked.

"Ooops! Over-sharing again!" Angela said innocently, as though she were not just sharing the size of her fiance's 'package'. "So, are you really going to let me look after the little princess?"

"If you're sure you don't mind," Bella said. "I'll feed her just before we leave and she should be okay. She hasn't really had a bottle before but I can express some milk just in case she needs it."

"I'd love to snuggle the peanut!" Angela said. "Remember I'm cool aunty Angela. We'll make it work."

"Right," Bella laughed. The two women made plans and Bella really looked forward to seeing Angela again, even if she was a tiny bit hesitant to leave Emma for the few hours that she'd be needed at the courthouse.

When Bella told Emmett that she would be able to attend the court date with him he was over the moon excited. He hadn't been looking forward to attending without her. The morning of the court date, both of them were on edge. Angela and Edward arrived early for a visit before they needed to leave. Since there wasn't a true court room in Forks, the trial had been moved to Port Angeles, and though this was only a preliminary hearing, they all felt it was important to attend.

They met Emily, Embry, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Alice outside the courthouse and made their way inside together. Alice smiled tightly at Emmett and Bella but made no move to speak to them. Going into the courtroom, Esme and Emily were not surprised to see all the faces from Forks; people just attending to watch the drama unfold. Emmett gripped Bella's hand tightly and glared at all the spectators.

The judge entered, followed a short time later by an orange-clad Rosalie. Her hair was pulled back in a simple low ponytail and she had no make-up on. She did not turn around to see who was in the gallery, knowing that nobody was there to support her. The judge read the charges out and asked Rosalie for her plea.

"Your honor," she began. "I don't know how this happened. I was framed. I would never do what they say I did. I just know that that girl did this. I don't know how, but I know she is responsible for all of this!" Emmett's hand tightened around Bella's as he listened to Rosalie's blatant lies.

"Miss Hale!" the judge admonished. "I am simply asking for a plea, not a diatribe."

"The only thing that I am guilty of is loving a man who doesn't care about me anymore," Rosalie sobbed. "I just want to go home. I don't deserve to be here."

"Miss Hale! I need you to enter a plea," the judge said sternly again.

"I'm not guilty," Rosalie said.

"Mr Prosecutor," the judge said, turning to the attorney representing the state.

"You honor," the man started. "The destruction of property perpetrated against Mr. McCarty is over five thousand dollars. Miss Hale also tried to incriminate Isabella McCarty for her crimes. When she discovered that Mrs. McCarty was out of the country at the time of the incident, she shifted the blame to Mrs. Alice Whitlock, her long-time friend. We have proof that Ms. Hale committed the crimes she is charged with with the sole intent of getting rid of Mrs. McCarty, who is the mother of a young baby. We are submitting into evidence, Ms. Hale's financial records that will prove that Rosalie Hale purchased the paint used to destroy the McCarty's house. As well, we are submitting 19 recordings. One is a conversation between Ms Hale and Mrs. Whitlock, 17 are voicemail messages left by the defendant for Mrs. Whitlock, and one is a video recording made in the Forks jail in which Ms. Hale threatens further action to try to, in her words, 'eradicate Isabella McCarty and reclaim her place as Forks royalty'."

"Over my dead body," Emmett growled quietly, pulling Bella tightly to his side.

"It wasn't me your honor," Rosalie cried. "I would never do anything like that."

"Miss Hale," the judge said. "There appears to be a mountain of evidence to the contrary. I am going to set bail for you at one million dollars. You will go to trial in 3 months time. In the meantime I am ordering a restraining order be placed against you. You may not go within 100 feet of Isabella or Emmett McCarty, nor their infant daughter. You are not to contact them in any way. The restraining order will also cover Alice and Jasper Whitlock, and Emily and Embry McCarty."

"I can't pay that," Rosalie cried. "I have nothing."

"I'll pay," came a voice from the back of the court room. Everyone turned around to see Royce King walking into the court room with a purposeful stride. He stopped and looked down at Emmett and Bella before continuing to the front. "As I'm sure you know your honor, I am Royce King Jr. I am prepared to post bond for Ms. Hale. She can stay at my home until the trial."

"You are aware, Mr. King, that if she violates any of the conditions of her parol that your money will be forfeit."

"I understand, your honor," he said.

Rosalie stared at Royce in shock. She hadn't seen or spoken to him since she walked out of his apartment nearly three years earlier when she wouldn't set a date for the wedding. Court was adjourned quickly after that and Emmett made a beeline for the exit with Bella in tow. Their family and friends followed behind them while the Forks gossip hounds had a field day with all the goings on. Once in the hallway outside of the courtroom, Emmett pulled Bella into his arms.

"That is unbelievable!" Emily huffed. "I thought she'd never get out on bail and yet she is going to be out on the streets today!"

"And in Port Angeles no less," Edward huffed, not liking the fact that Emmett and Bella now lived here.

"There is a restraining order against her at least," Jasper said.

"The girl has lost it," Esme huffed. "No piece of paper will keep her from doing what she wants. Bella and Alice, you guys need to be extra careful."

"And what was with Royce?" Emmett growled. "I thought you said that Rosalie had no contact with him after she broke the engagement."

"As far as I knew, she didn't," Emily said.

"Then what's his game?" Emmett asked nobody in particular.

They spoke and speculated about both Royce and Rosalie's motives. With Royce behind her, Rosalie would now have the best lawyers and access to money and power to hurt others. Royce's family was well known for buying what they wanted.

"We need to be getting back to Emma," Bella said a few moments later. "You can all come over if you'd like. There isn't a lot of space but I'm sure we can work something out."

Everyone agreed and started to make their way to the exit.

"Mr. McCarty, can I speak with you for a moment?" the prosecutor asked, walking out of the courtroom. He didn't trust Rosalie Hale and wanted to arrange some protection for Bella and Emmett at least. Emmett stepped away, leaving Bella with the rest of the gang who stood back and watched Emmett walk away. Within moments conversation returned to the group with everyone, except Bella, sharing their feelings about what had happened in the courtroom.

Bella was past the point of caring about Rosalie Hale. She simply wanted to be back home with Emma in her arms. Finally, feeling completely stir-crazy, she stepped away from the group hoping to get a little peace and quiet, though not daring to go so far that she couldn't see Emmett and the rest of the gang. She leaned against a wall and closed her eyes, breathing deeply for just a minute,

"He should have been mine," Rosalie said to her.

"You aren't supposed to be talking to me Rosalie," Bella said, opening her eyes to look at the tall blonde. She was no longer dressed in orange, though the rest of her appearance was the same as before.

"Like some stupid piece of paper is going to prevent me from taking what is mine," she scoffed.

"Look Rosalie, you need to move on. You were the one who threw him away," Bella said. "You decided he wasn't worth the wait."

"He would have come back to me," Rosalie said, her eyes widening menacingly. "He still will once you are gone."

"I'm not going anywhere," Bella said firmly. "But you certainly will be if you don't back away now."

"He still loves me, you know," Rosalie said, desperate to get a reaction out of Bella. "I bet he still dreams of my body."

"There is something seriously wrong with you," Bella said, shaking her head. "You need to step away. All I need to do is raise my voice and they will cart you back to jail."

"No!" Rosalie said. "I'm not going back. You won't be able to prove a thing. Royce has good lawyers, he'll help me get off of these charges... then it's over for you. You will die. I'll make it look like an accident... then your little brat will get to grow up calling me Mommy."

"You really are delusional. You don't understand that he doesn't love you anymore. Not because of me, but because of you. His feelings for me were not some replacement for his feelings for you. He was over you. You weren't even a whisper of a memory when he met me. Maybe he loved you once, but whatever he felt for you died when you told him he wasn't worth waiting for... when you replaced him with another man."

"No!" Rosalie said, getting louder. "He loves me. I know it. You just need to be gone. And then we'll be together."

"He doesn't love you," Bella said slowly. "But I think Royce does. He stood up for you today when nobody else would."

"Royce! You think I want Royce? He was just a game," Rosalie said. "I never wanted him. I never loved him. It's always been Emmett. Now you need to be gone."

Rosalie lunged at Bella with a loud shriek. Bella had nowhere to go and she barely managed to cover her face with her arms before the blonde grabbed her.


	46. The Smoke Clears

**_Look! I'm early! It's only been 11 hours and thirty minutes since I last updated! _**  
**_Don't forget to read the A/N at the end! It's important!_**

**_.  
_**

Bella yelled out for Emmett as she tried to protect herself from the crazed blonde. Emmett turned towards Bella's frantic call and started running before he could even comprehend what was happening to his wife. Before he could reach her, two arms grabbed Rosalie around the waist and began to pull her back away from Bella. Bella crouched down to the ground, still using her arms to shield her face and head from the blows still directed her way.

As Rosalie was pulled away, Emmett launched himself between Rosalie and Bella, using his body to shield his wife from the screaming blonde.

Guards approached from every angle and Rosalie was ripped from the arms that had pulled her away from Bella and thrown to the floor. She flailed and screamed non-stop.

"I need to kill her! She needs to die. He's mine! He loves me! HE LOVES ME!" Rosalie shrieked scratching and gouging at anyone coming near. Finally two guards managed to restrain her and get her handcuffed. Even with her hands behind her back, Rosalie screamed and threatened Bella. Emmett trembled as he cocooned his wife with his body. Even as a soldier he was not a violent man, yet in this moment he could kill Rosalie without giving it another thought.

Everyone that was in the courthouse converged on the scene within moments. The rest of the family put their bodies between Emmett and Bella and the onlookers. Carlisle knelt beside Emmett.

"Let me check her, Emmett," he asked. "Rosalie is handcuffed and restrained. She can't hurt Bella now."

Emmett didn't move. He simply held Bella tighter.

The prosecutor cut through the crowd with two more guards.

"Emmett," he said. "There's an office three feet down that we can use. Let's get you guys out of here so they can get Rosalie back in a cell."

Emmett slowly pulled away from his wife only to adjust his arms around her and then cradle her in his arms as he lifted her from the floor. Bella reached her arms out and placed them around his neck as he started to move. The family followed closely, as did the arms that had initially pulled Rosalie away from Bella. Once they were in the office, the prosecutor led Emmett to a small sofa where he collapsed into the cushions with Bella still cradled against him.

"I love you," he whispered against her hair.

"Please Emmett," Carlisle begged. "Let me check her over."

Emmett nodded and pulled back from Bella a little. "Babe, Carlisle wants to check you over. Can we do that?" he whispered against her ear. Bella nodded against his chest and began to let go. Of her hold on his neck turning in his arms a little to give Carlisle access to her arms. As she held them out for his examination, everyone else gasped as they saw the long scratches that covered her arms from wrist to elbow.

Carlisle asked the guard to find a first aid kit with disinfectant and bandages.

"I need Emma," Bella said. "She needs me."

"Mrs. McCarty," the prosecutor said. "We need to get this all documented and your statement. Once that is done you can go to your daughter."

"She's just a baby. She needs to eat," Bella begged.

"Let me call Ange and check on her," Edward said to both the McCartys and the prosecutor. "If she needs her mother, you can get all statements from Bella after she has taken care of her child's needs. Emma does not need to be stressed or deprived of her mother because Rosalie is a psychotic bitch."

The prosecutor nodded in approval and Bella looked up at Edward plaintively. Edward called Angela and after speaking to her quietly for a moment, he offered his phone to Bella.

"Bella," Ange said as soon as she heard her friend's voice. "Are you okay? OMG! What happened?"

"I'll be okay," Bella said. "How is Emma? Is she okay?"

"She's good," Angela said. "She protested the bottle for a little bit but she just finished up all six ounces. She's sound asleep in my arms right now. Tell me what you need."

"I don't know yet," Bella said. "Thank you. Thank you for keeping her safe."

"Always," Angela promised. "If you need me to bring her there, I have Edward's volvo and I can load her in her car seat."

"Just keep her there," Bella said, longing for her child but knowing that the courthouse was not the place for Emma to be. "I want this over with and then I refuse to think of Rosalie again."

Bella hung up and faced the prosecutor.

"Now what?" she asked him.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. McCarty," the man said. "We're going to need some pictures of your injuries and then a statement."

"Fine," Bella said at the same time as Emmett growled, "What are you doing here?"

Royce stepped forward sheepishly, showing his own gouged up forearms.

"Rosalie asked to go to the bathroom before we left the courthouse," he said. "I didn't know that there were two exits to the room. I was waiting for her when I heard the kerfuffle. I tried to pull her away from your wife before she could hurt her. I'm so sorry..."

Emmett just glared at the man, certain that he had some motive to hurt him again.

"Do I need to clear the room for this?" the prosecutor asked.

"I'd rather everyone stayed," Bella said. "That way I don't have to tell it twelve different times."

"You will have to tell it again at the police station here," he said, "but that can wait until tomorrow. Let's get et this out of the way now." Bella nodded and one of the guards produced a camera and took some pictures of Bella's injuries, noting that there were some spots that would likely be bruises by tomorrow.

Emmett cradled his trembling wife in his arms as she recounted stepping away from the group and Rosalie's approach. She filled the group in on Rosalie's diatribe, leaving out the part about Royce, feeling that no good could have come from that piece of information but pain. Royce King stood there, with all of Bella's friends and family, and listened quietly with his head down. When Bella was silent, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I appreciate you trying to spare my feelings, but I heard everything she said. I want to say that it doesn't hurt, but I'd be lying. I'm only sorry that she hurt you. I've only just met you and I already know you didn't deserve anything that Rosalie has done," he said, lifting his head and looking at Bella.

He looked around the room a little as Bella filled them in on the last words. Royce's eyes filled with tears but he said nothing. When Bella was silent once more, he looked right at Emmett and started speaking, "I have loved Rosalie Hale for as long as I can remember. That's why I hated you in high school Emmett. She wouldn't even give me a second look because all she saw was you. I just wanted a shot with her... When she came to me at my club, all those years ago, I knew she was just using me to get back at you. I was just a game to her. And even though I knew that, I just hoped that I could show her that I could be everything she needed. I wanted her to love me as I loved her. I spoiled her. I gave her everything she could possibly want. I took her to expensive dinners, and romantic trips. God, I loved spending time with her. I thought she did too. I was so in love with her... and for a time I thought that she loved me too. I proposed to her and I thought all my dreams were coming true. But she wouldn't move forward with it... I really wanted us to be married. I knew if we were that we could be happy. But when I pushed the issue, she just walked away. I had hoped that she would come back, but it never happened. Still I loved her. When I heard from people that she had been arrested and that her arraignment was today, I thought that I could ride in on my white horse and save her. I thought that she would finally let you go, but she never will. She isn't right in the head. I know that now. Emmett, I hope you can forgive me for everything."

Emmett looked over at the man that had been his rival for years in high school. He found that he couldn't be angry at him anymore. His only hatred resided with the blonde who was currently being sedated and taken to the state mental facility in Seattle. "I can't be angry at you anymore Royce," Emmett said. "Thank you for helping Bella today."

Royce nodded his head. There were a few more questions put to Bella, and a few for Royce as well before the group was released to return to their lives. The prosecutor promised to stay in touch with Emmett about what was happening with Rosalie. He assured Bella's worried husband that there would be no way for Rosalie to be released from jail any time soon. As soon as they were free to go, Bella and Emmett headed home.

Bella had gauze wrapped around both forearms and Carlisle was planning on stopping by later to dress them better for her. For now, Bella was just happy to get home to her baby.

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_**So what do you all think of Royce now? Rosalie? Anyone want an outtake of Rosalie from her being cuffed at the courthouse until ? - Leave me a review and I will send out the outtake! There are three more chapters and one more outtake to go. **_


	47. Love & Understanding

_**Sorry for the delay. I have been having issues sending out the outtake in Rosalie's POV . I tried. So instead of sending it out, I will post it in the outtakes of this story that I have. Sorry to all my reviewers but it just won't work. :o(  
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In his time in the army, Emmett McCarty had seen many things. He'd seen good thing, bad things, and downright horrifying things. Watching his wife being attacked by Rosalie fell into the latter category. Bella was the softest and kindest person that he had ever met; watching her be attacked either verbally or physically was a pain, which he felt right to his very core. Yet he also knew her strength.

She had proved that and more her whole life. As a child she was moved from place to place, always the new kid in school, yet she made friends and thrived. As an adult she worked in harsh conditions, lending aide wherever she could. Then even after she met him, she endured a pregnancy, without complaint, with her husband away fighting for his country. Then she gave birth to their daughter. Finally she agreed to leave all she knew for him... and when his stupid decisions left her hurt again, she dealt with that with more strength and grace that he had. He was in awe of her.

Now, as she cradled their daughter, with bandaged arms, he was in awe again. The complete and udder adoration that she showered on their daughter took his breath away every time.

"Emmett?" Bella asked, as she snuggled Emma close to her chest.

"Yeah, Babe?" he asked her, smiling at her.

"Hold me," she said, biting her bottom lip.

"Always," he promised as he pulled his girls into his arms; knowing that he held everything that mattered.

They retired to their bedroom, leaving Angela and Edward to prepare for the onslaught of people they knew were going to descend on the tiny apartment. Both Bella and Emmett stripped out of their court clothes, down to just their underthings. Emmett pulled back the covers on their bed and helped Bella and Emma in, before going around to the other side to pull her into his arms against his chest. Emma, who had been content to that point knew this position. This was how she usually got her morning feeding and she didn't care that it was no longer morning, she wanted not only the food that her mother provided, but the comfort.

Bella adjusted them both so that Emma could have what she wanted and she leaned back into Emmett's arms.

"I should have kept you away from the courthouse," Emmett sighed into her hair.

"No," Bella said. "I'm glad I was there."

"What?" Emmett asked as he leaned up on his elbow to look her in the eyes. Maybe all the stress had truly gone to her head.

"I'm not a masochist, Emmett," she said with a sigh. Her arms burned from the long scratches and she could tell she would have quite a few bruises on them as well from the blows Rosalie had succeeded in landing before Royce and Emmett got there. "It's just that Rosalie was determined to hurt me. And, with her released... it could have happened at any time. What if I had had Emma with me? Or, what if she had had more time and more tools at her disposal? It could have been so much worse."

"Only you could look for the bright side in this," he said, kissing her before resuming his position behind her. For a long time, only the sounds of Emma enjoying her meal filled the room as her parents relished their time together. Emmett ran his hands over his wife's skin, relishing in the ability to touch her, to comfort her.

When Emma was done nursing, they all laid together contently for a while, until the noises from their company could no longer be ignored. With a sigh, Emmett stood up and offered a hand to Bella to help her up. Emmett held Emma against his chest as Bella looked through her drawers for something comfy to wear. She settled on some yoga pants and then pulled one of Emmett's army issued t-shirts from his drawers, putting it on and knotting it at her waist.

"Looks good on you," he said with a smirk. She smiled at him and plucked Emma from his chest, dropping a kiss onto his lips. Emmett grabbed a pair of sweats and a hoodie and pulled them on quickly. Then it was Emma's turn. Emmett changed her diaper while Bella chose a cute sleeper for her to wear. Once they were done, and could no longer stall their return to the living room and their assembled guests, Emmett placed his daughter in the crook of one arm, and held his wife in the other.

"You are so strong," he whispered into her hair as she opened the door to join the gang.

Embry, Emily, Carlisle, and Esme had all arrived by that point, joining Angela and Edward.

As soon as Bella entered the room, Carlisle flipped into doctor mode, as did both Angela, and Edward. They all gathered around as Carlisle removed his crude bandages from the courthouse and replaced them with better dressings. Edward looked on angrily at the damaged skin that was revealed, but Angela was truly incensed when she saw the long scratches and the newly formed bruises on her new friend's arms.

"It's really not that bad," Bella said as she noticed her friends bristling.

"Not that bad?" Angela asked. "You were attacked!"

"I know," Bella said. "But at least it is minor. If she hadn't done it then, then when would it have happened? When I was alone with Emma? When she had more tools at her disposal to truly hurt me or worse?"

Emmett growled at her side and she looked over at him. He was trembling with anger at the very thought of Rosalie hurting her any further than she had already done.

"Or worse?" Angela said. "Good grief! How can you be so calm about this? I want to rip every one of her hairs from her head and stuff them where the sun don't shine!"

"That wouldn't do any good," Bella sighed. "I am now more certain than ever that she is mentally unstable. She needs help."

"You are concerned about Rosalie?" Angela asked, aghast.

"I guess I am," Bella conceded.

"You are a far better person than I am," Angela scoffed. "Personally I would be happy to see her rot in jail!"

"Don't get me wrong," Bella said. "I want to see her punished for what she's done. I just am sympathetic to her plight. Mental illness isn't a picnic."

"So what happens with the psycho now?" Angela asked, refusing to even call Rosalie by name anymore. "Are they going to let her out to attack Bella again?"

"After the display Rosalie put on at the courthouse, and in the back of the police cruiser," Embry said, speaking up. "The prosecutor has arranged to have her shipped to a state mental facility."

"Where she can claim temporary insanity and be out in a week?" Angela fumed.

"No," Embry said. "Where she will be held for a 60 day psych evaluation, followed by a trial and then a sentence."

"But she can get out and harm my wife again?" Emmett asked.

"I don't think that's likely. Her actions today prove that she is a danger to society. She may not go to jail but she will be confined to a mental facility for a long time," Carlisle answered.

"Why is she so focused on Isabella?" Emmett asked. "She isn't to blame for anything that happened between Rosalie and me."

"And we all know that," Carlisle answered. "But the fact of the matter is that Rosalie is not working under the same reality as the rest of us."

"Then I will go and make sure that she does," Emmett growled.

"I can almost guarantee that won't help," Carlisle sighed. "I am not a psychiatrist, but I wouldn't hesitate to say that Rosalie is lost in her own delusional reality. She spent years on the cusp of it but as long as she thought that she had control of everything around her, she maintained some stability. In her delusional world, Emmett would come home and everything would return to the way it was. Anything that stood in the way of that would have had to be destroyed. I'm only sorry that I never saw it before."

"So basically she is living in a daydream world?" Bella asked.

"Pretty much," Carlisle agreed.

They spoke for a long time. Dinner was ordered, much to Bella's displeasure, and eaten. Emma was passed from person to person and delighted all the adults with her gummy smiles. After Bella fell asleep that night Emmett made a call to Germany. Bella hadn't wanted to worry her father with the continued drama, but Emmett felt that the man needed to know.

As predicted, Charlie was incensed at the fact his daughter had been attacked. Emmett has assumed that the brunt of that anger would be leveled at him, but he was surprised wen Charlie was able to direct it exactly where it belonged. After thanking Emmett for his call and ensuring that his daughter and granddaughter were okay, the two men ended their call and Charlie Swan started to put some plans into action.


End file.
